A Difficult Boy
by M.P. Barker
New York: Holiday House, 2008
"A Difficult Boy" was on my list of books to be read for quite a while. I am so glad that I finally had the opportunity to get my hands on it. Written by a fellow Elms College alumna and set in my home area of Western Massachusetts in the year 1839, it tells the story of Ethan, a nine-year-old boy who has been indentured in order to help pay off a debt, and his relationship with Daniel, an older fellow indentured servant. Daniel, more commonly known as "Paddy," is an Irish Catholic whose family died in a fire.
Barker, a longtime archivist at the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, has created a richly accurate portrait of life in indentured servitude and the prejudice that Irish Catholics faced in Massachusetts in that time period. It is an engrossing story with a surprise and highly satisfying ending. While a bit graphic for younger children, it would make great reading for any teenager studying the history of this time period or anyone who enjoys good historical fiction.
No comments:
Post a Comment