A review by sbelasco40
The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

5.0

This book is extraordinary. I have so many thoughts about it I'm not sure where to start, but I will say I'm so happy to have so many thoughts, to read a book that triggered so many thoughts and feelings. The pacing of the book is skillful, the historical background meticulously researched - but the true magic derives from Anderson's use of perspective, namely Octavian, an exceptional slave raised in exceptional circumstances during exceptional times. It's strange how we don't teach about the Revolutionary War in conjunction with slavery - it's almost like slaves are absent entirely from the narrative, as if the issue of slavery as immoral and unjust didn't even arise until the Civil War. Anderson places this moral dilemma front and center, rather than shunting it to the side: how can we fight for liberty for some and keep others shackled? And somehow he manages to do this in a way that doesn't seem sanctimonious or patronizing, which is remarkable. If he is occasionally longwinded it somehow works. Great beginning to reading for 2014.