1st Book Review of the Summer!

47

By Walter Mosley

47 is about a young slave boy. The story starts when he is a very young. He lives with Big Mama Flore instead of his father. His father is his master. When his mother died, Master did not care for him and was planning to stick him in the fields when he grew to be big enough. Big Mama never fed him meat or milk so that he would stay little and therefore wouldn't have to go work in the fields.

By and by, Master noticed that the boy who lived with Big Mama, had lived with her for an awfully long time. He decided it was time for him to go into the fields. Master sent Mr. Stewart, the overseer to go and bring him to the slave quarters. The boy was brought to a cabin that was filthy and that stank. He was left there, feeling alone and forgotten. Then a slave that they called Pritchard came in. He sat down at a wood stove and took from it a branding tool. Pritchard yelled at the boy to come here, that he was going to brand his number onto his arm, that it would only hurt for a day or two. The boy looked at the hot tip. 47. So that was to be his number, his name.

47 fought against Pritchard as hard as he could, but the grown slave was stronger than he and soon 47 was pinned to the ground. Everything went black.

* * *

47 then became a field slave. Every night he would get chained to his bunk. Every morning he would get up at the crack of dawn. Every day he would work tirelessly in the fields, picking cotton.

One day, a strange slave boy shows up at the plantation. His name is Tall John. 47's life changes after that. He finds out that he is someday going to be a hero and save the world from and evil creature called Wall that lives in Tall John's world. For Tall John is from, as 47 puts it, beyond Africa.

47 is a story you won't forget reading. I highly recommend this book for people who like historical fiction mixed with a bit of fantasy. I think this is a good book for ages 11 and up.