Īnderson ( Whales on Stilts) once again shows the breadth of his talents with this stunningly well-researched novel.Ī brilliantly complex interrogation of our basic American assumptions. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)Ī historical novel of prodigious scope, power and insight.This is the Revolutionary War seen at its intersection with slavery through a disturbingly original lens. Octavian's narration.quickly draws readers into its almost musical flow, and the relentless action and plot turns are powerful motivators. Readers will marvel at Anderson’s ability to maintain this high-wire act of elegant, archaic language and shifting voices.įascinating and eye-opening… this powerful novel will resonate with contemporary readers. The story’s scope is immense, in both its technical challenges and underlying intellectual and moral questions. The first of two parts, this deeply provocative novel reimagines the past as an eerie place that has startling resonance for readers today.Īnderson’s imaginative and highly intelligent exploration of the horrors of human experimentation and the ambiguous history of America’s origins will leave readers impatient for the promised sequel. Anderson's extraordinary novel takes place at a time when American Patriots rioted and battled to win liberty while African slaves were entreated to risk their lives for a freedom they would never claim. Set against the disquiet of Revolutionary Boston, M. Only after he dares to open a forbidden door does he learn the hideous nature of their experiments - and his own chilling role in them.
As the boy's regal mother, Cassiopeia, entertains the house scholars with her beauty and wit, young Octavian begins to question the purpose behind his guardians' fanatical studies.
Raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by numbers, the boy and his mother - a princess in exile from a faraway land - are the only persons in their household assigned names. He is a boy dressed in silks and white wigs and given the finest of classical educations. This deeply provocative novel reimagines the past as an eerie place that has startling resonance for readers today.
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