The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing,Traitor to the Nation: Volume I: The Pox Party

by M.T. Anderson

Set in Boston on the brink of Revolutionary War, this is the story of 16-year-old  Octavian, a young slave who doesn't know he is a slave...yet. That's because, ever since his pregnant mother was stolen from her African village and sold to a rich and quite peculiar philosopher living in Boston, Octavian has been raised with a life of great privilege.  He has had all of the advantages that a son of a wealthy white man in that time period would have--the finest clothing, private tutors, an education in violin, Latin and Greek--exactly the opposite of what you would expect for an African slave living during that time. What Octavian doesn't know, though, is that he is part of an experiment and...
is being studied to determine whether Africans are "a separate and distinct species."  When he uncovers the truth behind his upbringing and the experiments, his perspective and world change forever.


Although this book was quite confusing for me at first and the 18th-century writing style a bit dense at times, the strong themes in the story were what kept me going. To see this young boy slowly realizing the reality of his situation was heartbreaking, although his determination was inspiring. And it was very eyeopening to witness the hypocrisy of the Patriots during that Revolutionary War time period, who were fighting for their own freedom from the British, but blatantly overlooking the enslavement of people like Octavian. Although a very challenging read, it will definitely make you take a look at our country's history from a different perspective. 
--Ms. Bell