Book 6 - The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: Volume 1 - The Pox Party

Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson was another challenging and thought-provoking read where I got much more than I expected.

Octavian, son of an African princess, is raised by a group of radical Bostonian philosophers. Supplied with the best classical education, and with his mother held in high regard with the group, it is a long time before he realises the true nature of his situation. He is a slave, and the subject of an experiment to see whether the savages of Africa have the potential to equal Europeans in intellect, or whether they are genetically inferior.

The events of the American Revolution eventually intrude upon the philosopher's oblivious society. With the loss of their British patron, the society relies on the funding of a group of Americans who wish to uphold the practice of slavery, and therefore see Octavian fail. Pushed to breaking point, he escapes and joins the Patriots in their fight against the British. But he soon realises that the cause of Liberty has distinctly different definitions for black men than it does for white.

The story is narrated by Octavian, and his classical education and intellect provide the vehicle through which many insightful observations and comments can be made. There is also a section narrated by an idealistic young patriot who befriends Prince - his naive belief in the cause of liberty for all is a stark contrast to the more sophisticated and world-weary views of Octavian and his owners.

There are so many intriguing themes running through this novel, I hardly know where to begin. There is the satirical parody of 18th century philosophical societies, the deeply challenging issues of race and rank, the nature of education at the time and more. The most challenging and confusing element for me was the Revolution. I've never had much of an interest in this aspect of American history, and at first tended to confuse it with the Civil War - especially since in this case it was being viewed through the context of race and slavery. As the story progresses the Patriots start to look less like heroes and more like hypocritical slave masters bent on maintaining the system by sending their slaves to die on their behalf.

This is the first of two volumes, although it reads quite well on its own (the second won't be out till later this year). It has deservedly won several awards. Octavian Nothing, like The Book Thief, is one of a burgeoning genre of literature written and marketed for Young Adults but of equal interest and relevance to adults. Its author, M.T. Anderson, also wrote another book, Feed, that I found deeply thought-provoking and will appeal to sci-fi lovers and consumer culture haters. I highly recommend both.

Book 5 - Tomorrow They Will Kiss

Tomorrow They Will Kiss by Eduardo Santiago was a bit of a risk read. I picked it up off the library's new books display, mainly because of the rather lurid cover. It actually looks pretty raunchy to me - something about the high-contrast colours I guess. But the story actually turned out to be intriguing and the characters really made it.

Three Cuban women share their stories - from growing up together in the village of Palmagria to working the same conveyor belt in a doll factory in New Jersey. Graciela is a free spirit, a woman who lives life to the full and wants to leave her past, with its mistakes, behind. Imperio and Caridad are two judgemental women who are quite happy to remember Graciela's past for her, and pounce upon every move she makes in trying to forge a new life in America.

The key to this novel is the three voices - the chapters cycle through each woman's narrative. Graciela focuses on the present and the future, which the other two fill in the history of their life in Cuba. Each perspective is entirely subjective - the reader must decide what is "truth" by assessing each woman's narration of the event taking into account her character and perspective.

I also learned a lot about the Cuban revolution and the migrant experience of middle-class Cubans - the book is set in the years just before and after the revolution in 1969. The heady excitement of the revolution was quickly followed by cold reality as they were stripped of their possessions. The poverty grew worse as the US trade embargo struck. Getting permission to leave the country was a year-long ordeal. As soon as the application was made an official would come and make a catalogue of every item in the house - and if anything was missing or broken when the application finally went through a year later, then permission might be refused.

Imperio and Caridad speak of returning to Cuba "soon" and cling to their old ways. Graciela is the only one with the courage to create an American life. Their situation - and that of many Cubans - is made all the more poignant by the fact that it is only now, 48 years on, that Fidel Castro has retired and the Castro brothers' grip on Cuba is loosening.