Saturnalia

Saturnalia by Paul Fleischman was a great read. This book combined interesting characters and unique situations to create a very complex plot. The book is set in 1681 in Boston. In this puritan town, the masters and servants live very different lives, and this

is described graphically in the book. There is only one main character, but as he searches for his brother and his native past he matures. He learns many lessons and meets a variety of different people. Saturnalia is a very interesting book with a complex and unique plot.

The main character of this book is a boy named William, who is an apprentice to Mr. Currie, a printer. William is a Narraganset tribal native, which was very common for apprentices at this time. By night, when he is with his fellow tribe members, his name is Weetasket. This character is both adventuresome and caring, and these traits of his are described very well in this book. There are many sub characters that William interacts with, most of who are Narragansets in apprenticeship that he meets through his master. A good friend of William’s is Malcolm, a wigmaker’s apprentice, who is described as being very harsh. By night, Malcolm and William secretly meet and do many things together.

The setting for this book, as mentioned earlier, is in the late 1600’s in a small puritan area of Boston. Most of the story line takes place in late fall and winter. The portrayal of winter is especially good. The author uses many descriptions and vivid language to paint a detailed picture in the reader’s mind. Also, the town is described very well throughout the book. As William travels, the reader learns about different parts of the town, as when William travels to make a delivery or goes to meet a friend.

The plot for this book is very unique, in that it uses many different sub plots that all come together in the end. One example of a sub plot is how William meets an older Narraganset and an eight-year-old girl. In return for food scraps from the Currie family, the older man named Wisatasket agrees to teach William about his tribal history. In the end of the book, the Roman tradition of saturnalia takes place. This is when masters and apprentices switch places for a day. William does spot his brother in a big gathering of the apprentices, but even though he searches and searches for almost the entire day, it is to no avail. William is never able to talk to his brother.

In conclusion, this book was a wonderful read. With interesting characters, an ever changing setting and a unique plot, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to have to think while they read, and to anyone who likes complex plots.