The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson

And astonishing is this book. It’s also NOT for kids. It takes place in the era of the American Revolutionary War when a beautiful slave woman and her young son are part of an intellectual experiment. They live on a scholarly estate with white scientists and academics and serve as a laboratory study. What has been an environment rich in learning, dining, and luxurious beginnings, becomes a dark disaster reflecting the times, the reality of slavery and the will of men who think they are doing the right thing. We learn about Octavian’s strange childhood and now I can’t wait for Volume II! Reed Reads Score: 5