Book Blurb:
The Stable Boy is historical fiction. It is a love story, a rags-to-riches story, an anti-racist story and a triumph over injustice story. Taking place in the antebellum South, it tells the tale of how a lowly slave... a hidden genius... defies all odds and becomes one of the richest men in America. In Pygmalion* style, the young slave is taught proper elocution and English grammar, a gift that takes him from picking cotton to dealing with some of the wealthiest and most powerful men in America. It’s also a touching, tender... if unlikely... love story between two young men... one a slave, the other his owner. It takes the reader from the rural South to New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and London. It makes the incredible, credible.
*Pygmalion is the George Bernard Shaw play on which the movie "MY Fair Lady" was based. It shows how the gift of language can change a guttersnipe into a princess.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/YHPP53
Editorial Review:
“Addressed by the slaves as “Massa,” Matthew Waterman was an authoritative, terse man standing six feet tall with light brown wavy hair, a wiry frame and handsome chiseled features. Most days he evoked anxiety in Tessie. She was careful not to provoke his ire; but she knew when she could be coquettish, and more importantly, she knew when she should be simply submissive.”
In “The Stable Boy”, set in 1800s United States of America, author John Neubert has addressed a number of significant themes and social perspectives. These include slavery, racism, same-sex relationships and extra-marital relationships. As with any work that encompasses such important subjects, the way in which they are incorporated in the narrative may be controversial to some. Matthew and Tessie have a son, Willie Boy. This event is complicated by the fact that Matthew is a married landowner and Tessie is a slave, whose physical attributes are noted in the narrative in a way that some might find confronting.
The circumstances of Willie’s birth results in him receiving an education and a different upbringing from other enslaved children. The author’s description of Willie’s childhood and the pressures he faces by being different within his community are well-written and believable.
This landowner/slave dynamic and other similar situations are plainly told by the author, and may cause the reader to reflect on the myriad of uncomfortable and difficult human relationships that have existed through history. Assumptions about the level and type of interaction between landowners and enslaved people are contested within many current historical perspectives, and so some readers may find the author’s treatment of these situations either challenges or condones earlier stereotypes on these subjects.
“Tessie’s eyes welled up and she lowered her head, realizing at that moment she was to be sold, and there was nothing she could do to change it. She looked up into Waterman’s eyes. “Please, Massa,” she begged tearfully, her voice quivering, “don’t sells me away from my Willie Boy. I loves him so.”
Waterman vowed. “Tessie, as God is my witness, I would never do that. I will make sure you and Willie Boy stay together and are sold to a kind master, and only for house servant work. Look at me Tessie, this could be the best thing for you and Willie Boy.” Matthew knew he could never really promise that, but the words eased the pain. Tessie did what all slave women were trained to do from birth. She
accepted her fate and acquiesced, telling Matthew that she was grateful for his favors over the years and that she understood that he had no choice now.”
As the story progresses, Willie (as an adult, Will and then William) uses his gifts to help other enslaved people, becoming a voice for his community. Both Tessie and Willie’s story takes many twists and turns, and Neubert does not spare the reader the realities of enslaved life. But both Will and Tessie also find good fortune, and the reader becomes embroiled in not only plantation life but also life in the southern towns of America. Will also finds attraction and companionship, despite his conflicted thoughts on the matter, and his realisation of what Tessie went through during his childhood. Will’s relationship with Tom is fraught with forbidden danger but also filled with physical and emotional intimacy, and each of these three aspects are detailed in “The Stable Boy”. Tom’s reluctant courting of June is excruciating and paints a vivid picture of the internal conflict caused when people are forced to hide their true selves.
At times the dialogue and writing style veers towards both showing and telling the reader what is happening, but despite this Neubert provides an immersive experience of the life and challenges of enslaved people and the social upheavals of the time. There is frequent use of distinctive dialect or speech patterns, perhaps to illustrate differences in education or background, however some readers may find this repetition distracting.
“Mornin’, Tobias,” Stone drawled from his buggy as he pulled up in front of the crude cabin occupied by the old former slave.
“Mornin’ Mr. Stone,” Tobias answered politely as he walked up to the horse-drawn buggy. “What brings you all the way out here this fine morning?”
“Well Tobias, I’ve been waiting for your cotton to gin and bale. What are you doing with all those cotton buds you’ve been picking?”
Tobias was elusive. “I’ll be there soon, Mr. Stone. The picking has got me busy for now.”
“You and the others never waited this long before. Seems strange,
that’s all.”
There are secondary characters – Tom’s family, other enslaved people, and Will’s expected allies. These characters all round out the story, but the central focus is rightly on Will, his mother Tessie and to some extent Tom. In keeping with the times of the novel, the ending is turbulent however it does complete the character arcs for Will, Tom, and Tessie and will bring closure to the reader.
There is much to admire in “The Stable Boy” by John Neubert, including the themes the novel explores. The storyline contains references to great tragedy, loss, and social upheaval, as well as great love. The author’s writing style is distinctive however the underlying story is a compelling one. Tessie and Will’s mother/child bond is unbreakable and one of the highlights of the book. The depiction of Will and Tom’s love is equally compelling. While some readers may find the dialogue and use of language within the book confronting, at its heart “The Stable Boy” is a story with many twists and turns that will engage the reader in one of history’s most turbulent times.
*****
"The Stable Boy” by John Neubert receives 3 stars from The Historical Fiction Company
To have your historical novel editorially reviewed and/or enter the HFC Book of the Year contest, please visit www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/book-awards/award-submission
Comments