47

Walter Mosley
Little, Brown and Company (2006)
ISBN 9780316016353
Reviewed by Anthony Pettrone (age 14) for Reader Views (5/07)

I found this book, “47,” to be a mix of science fiction with “Tall John,” from a land far beyond Egypt and his magical sleeping light and history, and “47,” a slave who has no name other than that of a number. In this book, we see through the eyes of 47 how slaves were treated on a plantation a long time ago. The fact that 47 had no name, but a number, was the first thing that hit me. It was if he was a “thing” instead of a human being. Later I found that that was the way the slaves were treated and it was a shock to see people mistreated as the slaves were in this book.

47 meets a new slave called Tall John who teaches him that the word ‘nigger’ is not acceptable -- that instead of that word, he should call himself a ‘man.’ It is then that 47 is first told he is a person and not a slave and the idea is strange to him. We also meet in this book a woman known only as 84. She is a silent, sharp slave who does not speak and seems to be angry with everyone. That is, until she meets Tall John who she begins to like. It is Tall John that causes her to begin to smile and be happy and she becomes friends with both Tall John and 47 by the end of the book.

There are many others in this book that make it a book filled with history and life lessons. There is the plantation owner, Master Tobias’ daughter, Eloise, Big Mama Florie, and Mr. Stewart. These characters all add up to a book that is not only interesting but is fast-paced with a surprising ending as well. Each character adds to the book in an interesting way and we see how important they are to the story and 47 by the end of the book.

Even though this isn't the usual kind of book I read, I thought the storyline and plot were very good and the parts on slavery were very realistic. I think the descriptions of the characters and the time the book was set in were very well written. I slipped into the storyline easily and the way Mosley makes the story of slavery and Tall John come together was amazing. Walter Mosley is a good author and I am interested in seeing more books by him. This book was a different one and, at first, one that was odd to get into, but one that ended up a great book with a great message. I’d recommend “47” for anyone looking for something different in the way of science fiction with a little history and human nature thrown in for good measure.

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