Book summary

This stirring, mythic tale spun from history and legend begins in the year 1832, in Georgia. Bitter, abusive Master Tobias and his evil overseer, Mr. Stewart, run the Corinthian Plantation with iron fists. Slave number 47 is a young boy who has just begun to lose his childhood innocence to punishing work in the cotton fields when a magical runaway slave named Tall John appears. A man from light years beyond Africa, Tall John shares a magical world filled with knowledge, personhood, and freedom with 47. His days as a slave change dramatically as he negotiates between supernatural forces and seeking freedom from the bondage he has always known. Walter Mosley is best known for his popular Easy Rawlins adult mystery series; this is his first title for young adults.

Media reviews

"Combining African-American folklore, history, and science fiction, Mosley creates an original tale that speaks to multiple audiences on multiple levels, one that lands squarely and soundly in the gap caused by the paucity of black fantasy and science fiction for young adults."