Forty Seven | 47 | Walter Mosley

We used it for a summer camp | 47 | Walter Mosley

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	• 47 Walter Mosley Listening Library (Audio), 2005 average customer review:based on 16 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Great book with a great message

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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Forty Seven

Written for teens, yet very absorbing for all. Mosley covers past, present, possible future, slavery and science fiction. Great book!

We used it for a summer camp

We sponsored a summer science camp for some kids from Pittsburgh and a faculty member led a reading of this book with discussion that followed. The kids were from a small school with a religious base which focuses on critical reading. They do not have the opportunity to read fiction with their school work, and they absolutely loved this opportunity. It led to exciting discussion, prompted critical thought, and opened their eyes to new possibilities. We loved the impact it had on these children and will use it again.

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great author

I bought this book as a gift for someone who has read many of Walter Mosley's novels. She has enjoyed every one of them.

Making Slavery and Freedom Real Through Historical Fiction and Science Fiction

47 is a delicate work that will make anyone identify with being a slave in pre-Civil War Georgia. It's Uncle Tom's Cabin for the 21st century with a different message, be neither master nor slave . . . be a free person who makes good moral judgments and does the right thing even under the worst circumstances.

It would be easy for those who read the book's opening to focus on old wrongs rather than valuing freedom to choose. Mr. Mosley heads off that risk by adding a science fiction character, Tall John, from another part of the universe who needs to learn about the realities of slavery while 47 (the unnamed slave who had his number branded into his shoulder) learns about the world beyond his plantation.

The book sets up terrific ethical conflicts such as choosing between saving oneself and saving someone else who you love . . . and someone you only feel an obligation towards. I'm sure every reader feels tugged in both directions at the same time. It's a wonderful exercise in ethics.

I was impressed by how much history Mr. Mosley was able to build into his story while upholding timeless human values as a contrast. It's a very powerful story. I hope he will do more like this one.

Bravo, Maestro Mosley!

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47 is the first young adult novel to be written by bestselling author Walter Mosley. A master storyteller, Mosley deftly mixes speculative and historical fiction in this daring novel. Set in a plantation, 47 (a young slave boy) is growing up under the watchful eye of a brutal slave master. His life seems doomed, until he meets the mysterious Tall John who not only introduces him to an unimaginable magical science but teaches 47 the meaning of freedom.

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