The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing

Anderson, M.T. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Traitor to the Nation Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves. Candlewick Press: October 2008, 592pp. Review originally written for The Picnic Basket

Volume I, a New York Times Bestseller and National Book Award winner, obviously appealed to an adult readership, and this volume will also.

Anderson’s second volume of Private Octavian Nothing’s life gives voice to a heretofore silent segment of society in US history—the slaves of African descent living along the eastern seaboard around the time of the Revolutionary War. With a keen eye for detail and an ear for language too-frequently missing in current YA fiction, even quality literature, Octavian’s life is narrated through his journals and through letters by and about him. His story is an historian’s delight: detail of civilian life in a besieged Boston; the story of Lord Dunsmore’s Royal Ethiopian Army—told by an enlisted private; the story of a cautious, somewhat reticent, well-educated black man living among the ordinary, illiterate ranks; details of life aboard ship and in battle in the late eighteenth century U.S.; and the multitude of men’s stories given voice through Octavian’s pen.

Scholars of US and African American history will find a multitude of enjoyment within these pages; however, the text is not for the faint of heart. The vocabulary and shear length are challenging, and I imagine a large portion of the students I have taught would abandon the text before finishing. Even so, the two volumes of Octavian’s life belong in public and school libraries nationwide, and on gift lists of readers with any interest in the topic. In my experience, young readers will persevere longer with a book given as a gift, even though it may challenge their abilities, and that tendency could be a viable avenue for bringing these important historical voices to life.

Teachers, this book offers a breadth and depth of knowledge unsurpassed in historical YA literature. With the guidance and assistance of a whole-class or literature circle read, Private Octavian Nothing’s story would be ideal for interdisciplinary study. Addressing the entire text might require the better part of a semester; however, the return on this investment may be astounding. Try it!

Even though the text will be too challenging for many an independent reader, this book earns a Picnic Basket rating of 5 from me for its historical accuracy and realism, and its literary merit.