The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts

January 1, 2017

Gr 3-6-An episodic plot, London in the early 1700s, and a boy named Oliver who falls in with thieves are all found in Avi's latest work. Oliver's father never recovered from the death of his wife, so he sinks deeper into drinking and gambling, neglecting Oliver and Oliver's older sister, Charity. With cliff-hangers at the end of every chapter and foreshadowing chapter titles, Avi maintains a brisk pace throughout. Themes of greed, survival, and loyalty are consistently articulated as well. Through the first-person narrative, readers experience the weight of the world pressing on Oliver, and Avi successfully uses this perspective to place readers in the 18th-century environment. The descriptions of place and time generally work well; however, there are a few moments that feel a bit like history lessons. In an afterword, Avi details what events and people in the tale are true and mentions a forthcoming adventure involving Oliver and Charity. VERDICT Avi's ability to write compelling historical fiction is evident here, and readers will want to stay tuned for the next installment.-Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY

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Starred review from March 1, 2017
A 12-year-old boy is left to fend for himself in 18th-century England following a terrible storm and the disappearance of his father. Oliver turns to his neighbors for help only to discover that his father's anti-monarchy leanings have earned him a number of enemies. Oliver is at the mercy of these men, who decide to take out their dislike for the father on the son. They deliver Oliver to the local children's poorhouse, where he is forced to do menial work and must submit to abusive punishment. He escapes, determined to make his way to London to find his sister and perhaps his father. But a series of mishaps finds him penniless and at the mercy of a band of highwaymen. Things only get more complicated when he finally arrives in London. Narrator Oliver's witty and honest voice makes this tale of misfortune bearable as well as riveting. From the abject poverty of London streets to the cruel treatment of children to the lengths to which some are forced to go to survive, this first in a new series will capture the hearts and minds of readers and history buffs alike. Unsurprisingly, the cast is a white one, but Avi's examination of the plight of the desperately poor is worthy of Dickens. Impossible to put down. (Historical fiction. 9-12)

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Starred review from March 20, 2017
With dry wit and a strong Dickensian flavor, this first installment in Avi’s Oliver Cromwell Pitts saga has an 18th-century British boy finding misfortune everywhere he turns. The adventure begins with a flood shaking 12-year-old Oliver awake in his home in Melcombe Regis, “a tenth of a mile from the sea.” Wading through the waterlogged rooms of his three-story house, Oliver discovers that his father is missing. The only clue to Mr. Pitts’s whereabouts is a drenched and almost illegible note that indicates he has rushed off to London to save Oliver’s sister from a disastrous situation. Left behind with no money and an evil man threatening to send him to the poorhouse, Oliver knows his prospects are dim. In the days that follow, they grow even dimmer as he endures a string of captures, risky escapes, and dangerous run-ins with strangers and family members. Every cliffhanger-ending chapter will leave readers on the edge of their seats, wondering how Oliver will manage to survive his latest dilemma. Brimming with fast-paced action, evocative settings, and villains, this book reveals yet another side of Avi’s talent. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from January 1, 2017
Grades 5-7 *Starred Review* Wakening to a terrible storm, 12-year-old Oliver Cromwell Pitts finds his English seaside house flooded and his lawyer father gone off to London, leaving the child bereft, penniless, and facing the unsavory possibility of being remanded to the children's poorhouse. Alas, that is exactly what happens. Happily, circumstances and quick wits allow him to flee the dreadful place, but, his life now in danger, he must escape to London. But how? Because of his flight and the fact that he has, er, borrowed some money, he's wanted by the authorities and must travel secretly, and the road to the capital is long and fraught with dangerthere will be no relying on the kindness of strangers. Will he find his way to London? One hopes so, for our hero Oliver is an unusually appealing character, whom we applaud while decrying his enemies, who are deliciously evil, unctuous, and depraved. In using Oliver as his first-person narrator, Avi does a superb job of suggesting the style and syntax of eighteenth-century speech, while telling an ingeniously plotted Dickensian story filled with suspense, surprises, and ultimately satisfaction. It reminds us, who may have forgotten, why reading is such high entertainment and pleasure. Please, sir, may we have some more? (Yes: a sequel is promised.)(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)