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The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party$13.00 add to cart

Set in and around Boston at the time of the American Revolution, Octavian Nothing tells the story of a black boy (Octavian) who becomes the subject of a philosophical experiment. Can the African negro be taught to be an educated, civilized man? This clever, thoughtful child gradually discovers that he and his mother, the Princess of Oyo in western Africa, are not royalty, but, in fact, slaves. And then the funding for the experiment passes into the hands of an evil man, and the chaos of revolution descends.

Older teens and adults who can cope with the late 18th century language will find much to admire in this book. It is a story about many things: freedom, slavery, the free market economy, the dehumanizing effects of cold science, and a confusing and terrifying time in American history.