It's 1852. An odd slave baby, born blind and feeble, is left to die in a sweltering smokehouse. Rescued by his new master, the ailing blind boy is useless on the plantation, until one night he begins playing Mozart--at the age of three. The once useless child becomes known throughout the world as Blind Tom. Caught between the traditions of the South and the force of change championed by abolitionists, the talented autistic slave and the master who saved his life desperately need one another for survival, in a dangerous world bent on tearing them apart long after slavery is over.
Eighth Wonder is a deeply personal telling of the imagined everyday life of Thomas Bethune, a blind autistic slave and music prodigy in the nineteenth century. A.M. Cal’s passionate telling of a tortured time in American history is rich with heart. With vivid details of place and character, she offers us the Bethune family’s complicated relationship with the talented Thomas-who they each come to love-set in the tragic institution of slavery. Eighth Wonder is a fascinating, well-told story and a journey you’ll never forget. —Susan M Wyler, author of Solsbury Hill
A.M. Cal's novel, Eighth Wonder, is a welcome addition to the mounting body of artistic works inspired by the improbable life and career of Thomas Wiggins, the 19th-century African American pianist/composer more popularly known as "Blind Tom." Cal has deftly portrayed the excitement generated by this first black superstar performer in America, while also capturing the unique personal and societal challenges faced by a celebrated musician born into slavery…I found it absolutely riveting. —John Davis, Pianist, Blind Tom CD
It's 1852. An odd slave baby, born blind and feeble, is left to die in a sweltering smokehouse. Rescued by his new master, the ailing blind boy is useless on the plantation, until one night he begins playing Mozart--at the age of three. The once useless child becomes known throughout the world as Blind Tom. Caught between the traditions of the South and the force of change championed by abolitionists, the talented autistic slave and the master who saved his life desperately need one another for survival, in a dangerous world bent on tearing them apart long after slavery is over.
Eighth Wonder is a deeply personal telling of the imagined everyday life of Thomas Bethune, a blind autistic slave and music prodigy in the nineteenth century. A.M. Cal’s passionate telling of a tortured time in American history is rich with heart. With vivid details of place and character, she offers us the Bethune family’s complicated relationship with the talented Thomas-who they each come to love-set in the tragic institution of slavery. Eighth Wonder is a fascinating, well-told story and a journey you’ll never forget. —Susan M Wyler, author of Solsbury Hill
A.M. Cal's novel, Eighth Wonder, is a welcome addition to the mounting body of artistic works inspired by the improbable life and career of Thomas Wiggins, the 19th-century African American pianist/composer more popularly known as "Blind Tom." Cal has deftly portrayed the excitement generated by this first black superstar performer in America, while also capturing the unique personal and societal challenges faced by a celebrated musician born into slavery…I found it absolutely riveting. —John Davis, Pianist, Blind Tom CD
Eighth Wonder: The Thomas Bethune Story
Eighth Wonder: The Thomas Bethune Story
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940152514414 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | A.M. Cal |
| Publication date: | 12/08/2015 |
| Sold by: | Smashwords |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 534 KB |