About this item
Highlights
- Washington DC 1844: When his mother is found drowned in the Potomac, 15-year-old Samuel Evans is devastated and falls gravely ill, saved by an experimental drug given to him by the gruff Dr. James Pyper who developed it from an Amazonian plant.
- 238 Pages
- Young Adult Fiction, General
Description
Book Synopsis
Washington DC 1844: When his mother is found drowned in the Potomac, 15-year-old Samuel Evans is devastated and falls gravely ill, saved by an experimental drug given to him by the gruff Dr. James Pyper who developed it from an Amazonian plant. The drug makes Samuel so sensitive to his environment that he can communicate with animals. He sets out to prove his mother didn't commit suicide, helped by encounters with numerous animals.
The doctor's childless wife, Martha, convinces her husband to adopt Samuel. He discovers that their house is a stop on the Underground Railroad and that Martha helps runaway slaves.
While investigating his mother's murder, Samuel's life is threatened, he falls in love, he dispatches a bee hive to punish the man he suspects, and tragedy ensues. He is kicked out of the Pypers' house, with nowhere to go. During this painful time, he uncovers lies and betrayal from people he trusts before learning the truth about his parents.
The Orphan is set against the backdrop of slavery and the 1844 presidential election that determined whether Texas would enter the union as a slave state.
Review Quotes
My test for a historical novel is, "Does the author put me back in that time?" In The Orphan, Sylvia Warsh not only puts her readers back in Washington, D.C., in 1844, she takes them into the heart and mind of an unforgettable protagonist. Samuel Evans is a teenage boy orphaned by the mysterious deaths of his parents. He also has a peculiar but completely credible trait of knowing the minds of animals, which help him discover the truth about the adults who care-or not-for him. The Orphan stands a considerable distance above an ordinary whodunit, as fans of Ms. Warsh's previous four novels will expect.
James L. Merriner is the author of six books, the latest of which is Stumbling in the Public Square
Compelling from the start, The Orphan is a highly original novel that will captivate readers of all ages and transport them to a pivotal time in American history, the fight for the emancipation of slavery.Rich with characters both good and evil, it's a (sometimes harrowing) delight to accompany our young protagonist Samuel Evans in his quest. An accomplished writer, Sylvia Maultash Warsh skillfully merges the elements of speculative fiction with the characters and the story, adding to the tension. I appreciated the novel's honesty, never sugar-coating the outcome or the characters' suffering but ultimately offering satisfying justice and the path forward for change.
Lisa de Nikolits is the author of eleven novels, the latest of which is Everything You Dream Is Real
The Orphan is indeed an unusual book in that it manages to combine so many of the elements that go to make up a wonderful read. It is a gripping story; a vivid capturing of an historical time period; has well drawn and interesting characters, and to top it off, includes exquisite depictions of the natural world. Highly recommended.
Maureen Jennings is the author of the Murdoch Mysteries and the Paradise Cafe Mystery series
The engrossing story of a lonely boy's determination to solve his mother's murder and restore his dead father's reputation in 1840s Washington, DC, told with a wealth of historical detail, including the science and politics of the time and the suspense of the protagonist's involvement with the Underground Railroad. Elizabeth Zelvin is the author of the Mendoza Family Saga and the Bruce Kohler Mysteries After his mother's drowning, young Samuel Evans falls ill. The experimental medicine that saves him leaves Samuel with a sensitivity to his environment including the ability to picture what animals are thinking. He sets out to prove his mother didn't commit suicide, using his new ability. Samuel's quest for truth takes us through the streets of pre-Civil War Washington, D.C. Along with Samuel, we wonder who can be trusted An engaging mystery full of intriguing characters and with a touch of romance.
Frances Schoonmaker, Award-winning author of The Last Crystal Trilogy and the Sid Johnson mysteries, the latest, Sid Johnson and the Well-Intended Conspiracy