Sovrin’s Star by John Reyer Afamasaga is the first book in the new Mississippi Connection trilogy. It opens with an atmospheric scene set in the Old South just as the Civil War has ended. People are trying to cross the border from Mississippi to Tennessee. Standing in line is a boy named Sovrin. Immediately, Afamasaga takes us to the world of Sovrin and makes us forget our own:
“A rope tied around a sign ran across the ground to the other side of the road, marking the land. Men dressed in Confederate gray lined up with their families alongside poor and freed farmers in a queue that stretched into the distance. Sovrin wasn’t sure what they were lining up for. But he felt it was hoping for something better, something of great value, worth the great risk. There was permanence in the way they carried their possessions with them and in how anxious the women were, as they cradled their young, while the men kept stoic stone faces. They were all determined to cross the rope on the ground. “
At first, nothing seems strange or unusual about Sovrin other than that he is alone. But then when the line moves forward it becomes clear that he is disabled and has to turn to push himself forward as he walks. This awkward move results in rude laughter from onlookers and the opening of a henchman’s heart.
Just as Afamasaga takes us to the stage, he brings the characters to life with his descriptions of them. He describes the henchman, Tiker, as: “In his top hat, Tiker looked like the ringmaster of the abandoned roadside circus where Sovrin was entertaining.” Meanwhile, Sovrin dresses in old coats that hide the details of his body and make him look healthier than he is. At first, Tiker isn’t even sure if Sovrin is a boy or a girl, but once he sees how Sovrin struggles to walk, his insides start to melt and he’s torn to help.
Tiker is a former boxer from England. He came to the United States to make a new life and get rich quick. Now he works for the Confederacy as an agent provocateur and sells bogus travel insurance policies. The last thing he expected was for a crippled and orphan child to change his destiny, and yet that is exactly what Sovrin does.
In addition to his disability, Sovrin has the disadvantage of being an orphan. When he is forced to walk, the only way he can propel himself forward is by focusing on the happy memories of his parents. He also has some repressed memories. He cannot remember why he is alone or what happened to his parents, although at the end of the novel, he will.
To tell what happens next would be too revealing, but let me just say that Afamasaga has created a world in which the Old South comes to life in surprising ways. Readers will definitely enjoy Tiker’s ingenuity in correcting mistakes.
Several questions about Tiker’s past remain unanswered at the end of the novel, including how he got a velvet vest that he claims was gifted to him by the Queen of England. Fortunately, Afamasaga has two sequels planned: York’s Story and Queenie, the Queen of England, both about minor characters in Sovrin’s Star. It will be interesting to learn more about the backstories and future of all Afamasaga characters as the series progresses. .
Anyone who enjoys historical fiction and especially American fiction will enjoy Sovrin’s Star – there’s a little Mark Twain flavor here and plenty of atmosphere to make you feel like you’ve stepped back to 1865 and the Reconstruction era. These characters are destined to live with you long after you return to the 21st century.
