The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. II: The Kingdom on the Waves
“A sweeping and epic novel [that] will someday be recognized as a novel of the first rank, the kind of monumental work Italo Calvino called 'encyclopedic' in the way it sweeps up history into a comprehensive and deeply textured pattern.” – The New York Times Book Review
Candlewick Press (2008)
ISBN: 9780763629502
Awards
Michael L. Printz Honor ● Boston Globe – Horn Book Award Honor ● New York Times Notable Books of the Year ● YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults ● Parents’ Choice Awards Silver Honor ● NECBA Top Ten (New England Children’s Bookselling Advisory Council) ● Cybils Award, Young Adult ● Amazon.com Best Books of the Year ● Booklist Editors’ Choice ● Booklist 50 Best YA Books of All Time ● Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books - Bulletin Blue Ribbons ● Horn Book Fanfare ● Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year ● Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year ● Indie Next List Pick ● Junior Library Guild Selection ● Delaware Diamonds Booklist, High School
Fearing a death sentence, Octavian and his tutor, Dr. Trefusis, escape through rising tides and pouring rain to find shelter in British-occupied Boston. Sundered from all he knows -- the College of Lucidity, the rebel cause -- Octavian hopes to find safe harbor. Instead, he is soon to learn of Lord Dunmore's proclamation offering freedom to slaves who join the counterrevolutionary forces.
In Volume II of his unparalleled masterwork, M. T. Anderson recounts Octavian's experiences as the Revolutionary War explodes around him, thrusting him into intense battles and tantalizing him with elusive visions of liberty. Ultimately, this astonishing narrative escalates to a startling, deeply satisfying climax, while reexamining our national origins in a singularly provocative light.
Reviews
“It’s probably the best young-adult novel in American history, top 10 for sure.” — TIME Magazine
“Places Octavian at the heart of...harrowing historical episodes underscoring the bleakness of a tale that is ultimately about the melancholy predicament of a brilliantly educated and appealing black man in a world that has no place for him.” — The Wall Street Journal
“A singular achievement, a work of historical fiction that feels truly original and seems destined to endure.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“Exceptionally interesting and imaginative.” — The Guardian
“Spectacular.” — Chicago Sun-Times
“A meaty and provocative conclusion.” — Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“Anderson's powerful and unforgettable novel is a vital contribution to the ongoing national conversation on the subject [slavery] and its effects on into the present day.” — Los Angeles Times
“Readers end the stories awed by the overwhelming nature of the obstacles the characters face and by their persistent strength as survivors.” — The Chicago Tribune
“A remarkable literary achievement... Both profound and profoundly moving.” — Toronto Globe and Mail
“An encyclopedic, momentous work. Anderson creates whole his pre-revolutionary world...a powerfully self-critical novel by an American writer whose intellectual and imaginative engagement is as vibrant as his considerable story-telling capacities.” — Toronto Star
★ “This one belongs in a class all by itself for it’s not only the best book of the year, it’s also one of the best books I’ve encountered in a lifetime of devoted reading. What more can I say? … Awe-inspiring.” — Booklist, starred review
★ “With an eye trained to the hypocrisies and conflicted loyalties of the American Revolution, Anderson resoundingly concludes the finely nuanced bildungsroman begun in his National Book Award-winning novel.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “A fast-moving plot...a satisfying finality to the story.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
★ “Epic quality.” — Horn Book, starred review
★ “One of the few volumes to fully comprehend the paradoxes of the struggle for liberty in America.” — Kirkus Review, starred review
★ “A riveting book...Highly recommended.” — Library Media Connection
★ “Fascinating historical fiction...a thoughtful and timeless examination of the nature of humanity.” — School Library Journal, starred review
“Filled with humor, insight and moments of genuine pathos and tragedy…brimming with surprises, not least the revelations in the author’s note that the book and its included historical documents are based on historical fact. This deeply moving re-imagining of a little-known episode in American history should be required reading not only for high school students of the American Revolution but, I would argue, for anyone who wants to see just what brilliance is possible in so-called children’s books.” — BookPage
“An astonishing book filled with masterstrokes of language. Revolutionary America is stunningly depicted.” — Historical Novels Review
“It's a truly courageous undertaking, ambitious in its scope in ways unparalleled by any other author working in this genre.” — The Houston Chronicle
“The riveting saga...poses questions about our nation's hard-won liberty that are as illuminating as they are disturbing.” — St. Louis Post Dispatch
“Anderson brilliantly crafts the bulk of the novel as Octavian's narrative written in the elegant prose of the period.” — Buffalo News
“Continues a coming of age story that mines the paradoxes of the national birth. Its exploration of destiny and racial identity is deemed especially timely after the historic presidential election.” — Columbus Dispatch
“Critics have called Anderson's fast paced action adventure – with a conscience – a breathtaking tour de force.” — San Antonio ExpressNews
“A heart-pounding sequel.” — Dayton Daily News
“Young adults may find a challenge in a two-volume, 900-page-plus story, but the coming-of-age theme is universal and relevant as is the notion of patriotism and fighting for one's freedom. Octavian may have called himself Nothing, but his final choices, while subtle and cause for conjecture, are thoughtful and uplifting.” — Deseret News
“Truly a treasure for history buffs everywhere… a handsome book, a fascinating compilation, and a must-have for public and school libraries.” — Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Interviews
Publishers Weekly, “Q & A with M.T. Anderson” (October 16, 2008)
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, “Seven Impossible Interviews Before Breakfast #13: M.T. Anderson (who is not really seven monkeys, six typewriters, and a Speak & Spell,* no matter what he tells you)” (March 13, 2007)