A Difficult Boy
Grade 5–8—When nine-year-old Ethan leaves his family to be bound out to Mr. Lyman, his father tries to make it sound like an adventure and an opportunity to learn a trade. But Ethan knows that it is a necessity: his father has no other way to pay off his debts to the wealthy shopkeeper. The Lymans' other indentured servant is a surly teenager who rebuffs Ethan's attempts at friendship. Mr. Lyman is initially affectionate and gracious to Ethan and warns him against spending too much time with Daniel, a "difficult boy" whom the Lymans call Paddy to underscore his Irish inferiority. But when Ethan accidentally breaks a plate, he witnesses how quickly the man's benevolent demeanor can transform into violent rage, and, after a vicious beating, he and Daniel begin to form a bond. But to the town, and even to Ethan's parents, the man is a shining example of virtue, teaching these boys a trade and "disciplining" them only when their misdeeds warrant it. As the boys' friendship grows stronger, Ethan learns more of Daniel's tragic past and the circumstances that have bound him to the Lymans. How Ethan and Daniel bolster each other and escape Mr. Lyman's tyranny makes for a memorable tale of friendship and a fascinating glimpse into mid-19th-century Massachusetts. Like L. M. Elliott'sGive Me Liberty(HarperCollins, 2006), this is an eye-opening look at indentured servitude in American history.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.