E.S. Kraay

The first half of this story focuses on Tobit, a male slave in the pre-Civil War South, and events that will shape the course of his life. His son, Tobias, takes up the narrative of the book’s second half as Reconstruction begins. With hints of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and the 19th-century sentimental novel, “Tobit and the Hoodoo Man” presents an interesting, albeit rather idealistic, tale unique to the genre. The characters are mostly black and white—both literally and figuratively; the heroes are nearly sinless while the villains are blatantly evil, and in many ways it is a moral tale. Although a bit quixotic, this is a very readable story for young adults and older adults alike.… (més)

Ὦ ξεῖν', ἀγγέλλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις ὅτι τῇδε κείμεθα, τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι.
Tell them in Lacedaemon [Sparta], passer-by / That here, obedient to their laws, we lie

Epitaph at Thermopylae commemorating the 300 Spartans who died there in defense of Hellas, trying to repel the army of Xerxes and attributed to Simonides, the poet. A gripping, thoughtful story of what truly makes a human being....

To a group from Thasos and Egypt Simonides tells the story of Theagenes [Theo] of Thasos, Olympic champion boxer and his trip accompanying Theo to Thermopylae, where Theo wishes to fight the Spartan boxing champion, Lampis; Theo felt he had left Olympia before their match to answer the call of his countrymen and was a coward for doing so and not facing Theo in the Games. When Simonides and Theo arrive at Thermopylae, they witness the end of the battle. The Spartans' example of courage and selflessness teaches them the deeper values of life and to live their life for others, instead of their individual arrogance and self-aggrandizement. Each honors the fallen in his own way.

Good cover art: now I can imagine this bronze statue of the "Hellenistic Boxer" as being one of Theo.
http://artsnap.org/wp-content/uploads...

Despite a few proofing errors, this is a story to remember for its insight and not a gory, bloody recounting of the battle. We don't know whether in history, Simonides was actually at the scene and was an eyewitness, but it's a fascinating speculation to think so. Our negative stereotype of a Spartan was absent from the story for the most part.… (més)