A Child Went Forth

The Defiant Americans #2

by Boston Teran

A CHILD WENT FORTH follows thirteen year old Charlie Griffin's evolvement from boyhood to manhood in the summer of 1855 as he carries money from Brooklyn to Missouri to give it to the abolitionist leaders there. All the while he is being hunted by a ferocious crew of adversaries.

It is an entirely new look at the era, at slavery, racism, political and social corruptions and the cast of people in the novel are an illustrious roll call of characters from the real to the reimagined. From Walt Whitman to P.T. Barnum, to the Brooklyn evangelist and abolitionist Ward Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe. The infamous and ghostlike undertaker and anti-slavery insurrectionist Erastus Eels. The millionaire gunfighter and freestater Butler Philips to his dashing and Oxford educated counterpart, the assassin Dixie Jack. And then there is Annie Pie, the heroine of the story, who at thirteen is brave beyond her years, and it is left to her to save Charlie Griffin, the boy she has come to love.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

332 pages, Hardcover

First published May 18, 2018

About the author

Boston Teran is the internationally acclaimed author of twelve novels, many of them translated into foreign languages. He has been named alongside great American writers like Hemingway and Larry McMurtry, as well as filmmakers John Ford and Sam Peckinpah, for his singular voice and ability to weave timely social and political themes into sweeping page turners that pierce straight into America's soul. GOD IS A BULLET, currently in film development, is considered a cult classic that has been compared to such seminal works as Joan Didion's THE WHITE ALBUM and John Ford's THE SEARCHERS. NEVER COUNT OUT THE DEAD has been called a modern equivalent of MacBeth. THE CREED OF VIOLENCE sold to Universal, with Todd Field (Little Children) set to direct and Daniel Graig in the starring role.

The author has been nominated or won over 17 awards, including The EDGAR AWARD for Best First Novel and the FOREWORD "Book of the Year Award" as well as the INTERNATIONAL IMPACT AWARD OF DUBLIN for Best Novel, the Best Novel of the Year in Japan and the John Creasy Award in England.

Reviews

[James Thane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became a huge fan of Boston Teran when I first read The Creed of Violence, and my admiration for the author only grew with God Is a Bullet and The Country I Lived In. The author remains a mysterious figure. Some speculate that this is another author writing under a pseudonym, or perhaps a group of writers working together on these projects. Whatever the case, Teran's new novel, A Child Went Forth, may be the best book I've read in a long time.

The book's title comes from a poem by Walt Whitman, and Whitman himself makes a cameo appearance as "Walt, the poet." The book is set in the United States of 1855, a time when the raging debates over slavery, immigration and other issues were tearing at the fabric of the nation. Into this setting step thirteen-year-old Charlemagne Ezekiel Griffin, "Charlie," and his father, Zacharia. The two are running a con on the famous abolitionist preacher, Henry Ward Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose book Uncle Tom's Cabin has contributed mightily to the argument over slavery.

Zacharia, with the help of his son, plans to con Beecher and his followers out of several thousand dollars, claiming that they are going to funnel the money to abolitionists in Kansas. Charlie believes that they are really going to use the money to rescue his mother from an asylum in Ohio and then live happily ever after. Zacharia, who is running a con on his own son as well as on Beecher, actually has other plans for the money. But as often happens in a case like this, in fairly short order the plan goes awry and Charlie finds himself alone and on the run across the continent, pursued by some very dangerous enemies.

It would be a huge disservice to say anything more about the plot, but this is a gorgeous novel with characters that will remain with me for a very long time. Heroes and villains alike, they are all wonderfully imagined, Charlie Griffin in particular. This is in some respects a coming of age novel, but it is much, much more than that, and it captures brilliantly a time in the nation's history when the future of the country was truly in doubt. It's an exciting, gripping, and beautifully-rendered story--a book I'll be reading again and again in the years to come.

[Still · Rating 5 out of 5]

A con-artist (Zachariah Griffin) and his 12 year old son (Charlemagne Ezekiel Griffin, "Charlie" for short), schooled in all variations of the long and the short cons, swindle over four thousand dollars from Henry Ward Beecher and the Reverend John Gloucaster -a former slave turned Presbyterian minister and anti-Slavery activist under the pretext of buying arms for the abolitionists gathered in Ohio in anticipation of an all out war with slavers.
In fact, Charlie & his father intend to purchase a farm with the money and seek release of Charlie's mother who has been institutionalized in an insane asylum. Or so Charlie has been led to believe by his deceitful father.

Eventually Charlie is on his own and headed west from out of New York pursued by a murderous runaway slave and his white partner in crime. His hair-raising adventures and narrow-escapes make this novel impossible to put down.
There are many mournful passages as Charlie experiences loss and devastation throughout but this page-turner, equal parts Boy's Adventure and Western, is one of the most exciting reads I've had in months.

It is so hard to put this book down.
It's like spending several months with a beloved cousin in the last spring of youth.
I really wish you'd read this novel.
Borrow it from a friend or a library if you have to.
Better yet- buy it.
Highest Recommendation!

He was a tainted soul; he knew that much about himself. A raggedy swindler and masquerade artist, pickpocket and short con gamer.

The Road is Home To Liars. Because you're not there to remain attached to a place, a life, or an identity. Those are just human trappings, temporary trading posts in your life. The road is an invitation to do away with your very existence in a matter of miles. It is a never ending series of destinations that offers rewards, as long as you have the audacity to accept such a treasure, and not fall prey to human predictability.

Cairo was at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, on a slight peninsula, and if not walled in by levees it would be nothing but a swamped rat hole. It wasn't much more as it was.

"A hotbed of disease," said Erastus, "and ugly sepulcher, a grave uncheered by any glean of promise. A place without one single quality, in earth or air or water, to commend it. Such is this dismal Cairo." He drew some from his pipe. "Charles Dickens said that. You know who Charles Dickens is?"

"I can't say I do."

"English writer. Oliver Twist. You ever read that?"

"That was crackerjack. My mother read it to me. I read it after. She used to call my father that sometimes when she got sore... Oliver Twist."

There was a storefront that about said it all when it came to describing Cairo: -- FAMILY WHISKEY -- TAR AND FEATHERS -- COWHIDES -- BOWIE KNIVES -- and -- SLOW POISON

Any fool worth his measure would know now that if there weren't slavery, there would be something else that worked equally well. Because the world is slavery, and slavery is inequality, and the world survives on inequality. Because without inequality there would be no wealth, and without wealth there would be no power, and without power there would be no control, and without control there would be no order. And order is man's highest aspiration, man's most precious commodity, because it serves his many greeds.

[Campbell Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.5)

In the midst of reading this I was reminded of a Thelma Ritter line, in All About Eve: "What a story! Everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end."

(Oh wait-- just remembered, A Child Went Forth actually has bloodhounds too.)

If it were a movie we'd simply call it on-the-nose. Since it's a novel we may take into account its haphazard editing and-- of the edition made available through the public library --its cover, entirely other than what is displayed here and elsewhere, and its pages, of a quality just north of self-published. In addition to its presentation and the carelessness of its organization, the author is indeed a great mystery... in no small part because he (she?) makes such outlandish comparisons of him/herself: Lean? Leone? Picasso?

Please. There is a compelling story here, replete with clockwork reversals and conclusions drawn for the reader. (So, so many conclusions. I've sat in Sunday School classes less dogmatic.) I'd sooner read this Boston Teran again than many an author of more established pedigree, but the whole enterprise comes across as grandiose with the whiff of amateurism.

To this reader this novel, in both content and form, rang more with invention than truth.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Child Went Forth is the fourth book I've read by this author, whose real identity continues to remain unknown to me. Nevertheless, I've been taken with his/her literary skill and dare say, find it to have been the highlight of my reading this year.

The one characteristic of Teran's writing style that has heretofore been a mixed blessing is a tendency to write so eloquently, so poetically, as if weaving a complex, dense tapestry of words, even when describing a simple event or view, that the reader's momentum through the story becomes hindered. It is a subtle thing and not altogether unpleasant, but nevertheless, has been the only "nit" I've had to pick in any of Teran's books.

Up until now, that is. In this novel, the pace and plot proceed unhindered. The prose is simpler, as if Teran got the memo from the publisher to write one that's a just a bit more straightforward, using less esoteric vocabulary and metaphors. Whether or not that's what occurred, it certainly was for the good. This book offers up absolutely memorable characters, clearly executed plot lines, and as has become expected for this author, a protagonist to whom one can feel connection almost instantly.

It is 1855, and thirteen year old Charlemagne "Charlie" Griffin begins our story in the service of his father, Zacharia, and a con game that will find Charlie holding some four thousand dollars, ostensibly earmarked for the abolitionist leaders in Missouri. With the cash secreted in the lining of his ragged coat, Charlie must make his way from New York while attempting to stay ahead of host of determined and ruthless men who'd prefer to relieve him of those funds.

As seems to be usual for Teran, this is a commentary on society, on the time when divisions between "free staters" vs "slavers" divided a country. Adding to the richness of the book is the inclusion of
characters (some historically accurate, others, fictional) such as Walt Whitman (whose poem gave rise to the title of the book), evangelist and abolitionist Ward Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, free stater Butler Philips and his nemesis, Dixie Jack, and a very memorable anti-slavery insurrectionist, the undertaker called Erastus Eels.

Charlie's evolution from con-artist to a young man of steadfast will and honor makes this book a delight. The linear, unrelenting and engrossing writing makes it a must read for anyone who has enjoyed Boston Teran's other works. It is, perhaps, the most readily accessible of his books (of those I've read thus far), and would be as good a place to become acquainted as any. But I say, read 'em all, and indulge in the poetry, the commentary, and the art of this fine author.

[Nan Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an interesting book. With the title and the cameo of Walt Whitman in the book giving our 12 year old protagonist, Charlie, a copy of his poem, “There was a Child went Forth,” one could assume that the book was a coming of age story, but it was much more than that for me. (And yes, the child was 12, not 13, as on the book flap.)

With the poem in mind, I’m thinking Charlie was the perfect example of both the goodness and kindness of his mother and the craftiness and shysterness of his father. These two traits carried him through the book and through his odyssey. I didn’t see changes in his behavior nor beliefs because of his experiences, but rather a honing and cementing of his parents’ very different ideals.

I loved the fact that Charlie let nothing deter his determination from his self-appointed goals: the first was seeing his mother and the second was delivering the package to the abolitionists in Kansas. I loved the fact that he traversed and survived the worst of human depravity without fear. And I loved the fact that he used his father’s lessons in shyterness for good. His father taught him well in those arts, but his mother’s example of kindness and goodness gave him the resolve to use those skills for good.

The plot focuses on the underbelly of society in 1855 and on the lawlessness of the time period – particularly in the West (or what we think of today as the MidWest). Our author gave us many excellent examples of the results of both mob rule and anarchy. As I was reading example after example of those, I was thinking how timely those examples are in today’s world.

Definitely thought provoking.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read in a long time

I loved this book and devoured it in just a few days. At its most basic, this is the story of a young man in the 1850s making his way from NYC to Kansas to deliver four thousand ill-gotten dollars to abolitionists. But this is so much more than that. It is the story of a nation descending into mob violence over its own bloodiest sin as it careers towards cIvil war. It is a story of how people around us help make up who we are, about the evil people do in the pursuit of power over others, and of the sacrifices people make in the pursuit of decency. It is the story of Charlemagne "Charlie" Griffin and how he comes to find himself redeemed by his own actions and those of others around him. And it is a crackerjack old west pursuit story chock full of incredible characters capable of horrific violence and magnificent grace and sacrifice in the name of what they value most. I strongly recommend this book.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Teran remains a mystery in regards to the true identity of the author. This does not matter to me. All I know is that he/she is a great author. Mr. Teran is not just a writer but a splendid storyteller.

Instantly, I fell in love with this story of Charlie. He really grew up to be a respectable man. This was not easy from his childhood to the point he grew up. Along his journey, he met a variety of people. Some good and a lot bad. The odds were definitely stacked against him.

Mr. Teran infuses life into the characters so that you are so invested in them that you don't want to stop reading. Harriet Tubman was another famous slave that grew through adversary to become a powerful voice. I kind of pictured these qualities in Charlie. If you are looking for a great author or just a great book, than do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book today.

[Norm Goldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boston Teran's absorbing recent novel, A Child Went Forth follows the harrowing experiences of a thirteen year old boy who has the formidable task of delivering the sum of four thousand dollars to a fervent abolitionist, James Montgomery in Missouri.

Set in the mid-1800's, the novel begins in Brooklyn, New York where Zacharia Griffin and his son, Charlie have travelled from Topeka, Kansas to meet the fiery American Congregationalist clergyman, Henry Ward Beecher of the Plymouth Congregational Church. This is the same Beecher who is the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Zacharia, who is a notorious con-artist, was carrying with him a letter supposedly signed by an important abolitionist in Kansas as well as others. The contents of the letter was an urgent plea to solicit money to purchase arms that Zacharia could negotiate and deliver through a network of underground sympathizers of the anti-slavery movement.

Beecher never questions the authenticity of the signatories to the letter and is successful in raising the sum of four thousand dollars from his abolitionist friends.

John Briner, a vestryman of the church, was to deliver the money to Zacharia at the home of a fine black family, the Gloucasters. who lived in a good neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Briner, however, who was not exactly a pillar of his community, had other ideas for the money and engages the services of two criminals, Billy Tule and his confidant, Handy.

They were to ambush Zacharia and Charlie once they leave the Gloucaster home and relieve them of the leather satchel that would contain the four thousand dollars.

Zacharia had planned to make a hasty exit out of Brooklyn and venture west. He divided the four thousand dollars into small packets and hid them in the lining of an old coat. Not to be suspected of carrying anything of value, Zacharia and Charlie discarded their good clothing and changed into shabby garb as if they were a couple of paupers.

Charlie, however, expresses great anger towards his father who lied to him telling him that the swindled money would to be used to get his mother out of an asylum in Cincinnati and to take care of her properly.

It doesn't take long before Handy and Tule track down Zacharia who recognizes them in a crowd of people waiting to get into a Barnum Museum. Zacharia orders his son to escape into the museum while he confronts the two hooligans which unfortunately leads to his death.

At first, Handy and Tule are unaware that Charlie has the money hidden in his old coat, but eventually they realize that Charlie has escaped their clutches with the treasure they seek.

From this point onward the yarn follows Charlie as he wends his way from Brooklyn to Pike County, Missouri with as many towns he had to flee or quickly disappear from and with one objective in mind, to make amends and deliver the four thousand dollars to its rightful destination.

During his arduous trek, his experiences encompass a number of multiple challenges including the dark destructive side of slavery, racism, political and social corruption. He also encounters a cast of characters some of whom are real and others invented that are seamlessly woven into the plot. These include an undertaker, an anti-slavery insurrectionist, a millionaire gunfighter, an assassin and a young woman who saves him and comes to love him.

And as Charlie repeats what his father told him: “It's like in the Bible. The good book is one long parade of beginnings and ends with a slew of bloodshed and begatting tossed in between that keep the reader oca'pied.”

Teran's storytelling gifts are amply confirmed with his realistic dialogue and colorful characters that are well-blended into the plot, all of which adds to the richness of the fiction. His prose is captivating as it reflects the emotional and painful atmosphere that prevailed during this era. If we are to describe this novel as purely historical fiction, we would rob it of its uniqueness. In brief, what Teran has accomplished is a form of realism which makes its backdrop immediate as well as vivid, and as turbulent as anything set in the present. In addition, it leaves the reader with more of an understanding of the passions animating the anti-slavery movement during the 1840s and '50s.

If you are wondering who is Boston Teran, apparently no one knows his or her identity, even his publicist hasn't a clue. Some say he is a well-known writer using a pseudonym while others believe it is the name used by a small group of writers working together to create one identity. We do know that Teran is an internationally acclaimed author who has won several awards with his cult classics including God is a Bullet and The Creed of Violence, which are slated for major motion pictures. A Child Went Forth may likewise win an award and wind up as a motion picture.

[R J Mckay]

I received a copy of this book from Goodreads in exchange for a review.

A boy is forced into adulthood when his Father is killed, leaving him alone in the world. As young Charlemagne “Charlie” Griffin comes face to face with some of the most famous and infamous individuals of the 1800’s, as he forges a path across the country. He wants to right the wrong committed by his Father, who was a Con Man, and who had just taken money from the great Ward Beecher to ‘supposedly’ give to others fighting slavery. In reality, Charlie’s Father wanted the money for himself. In hot pursuit of young Charlie, are two men intent on getting the money for themselves, by any means possible. They have already killed Charlie’s Father, now they have their target set on Charlie himself.

Come along on an adventure, as Charlie finds himself influenced by a long list of characters, but none more important than the 13-year old Annie Pie.

Emotional, touching, and resilient, this book will capture your heart while feeding your imagination.

[Roger Prindle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another historical novel from the Maestro, Boston Teran. If you have never read one of his books, you owe it to yourself to pick one up. This author is a wordsmith of the highest order. His prose paints pictures and the mood and characters leap off the page as you go.
Set in 1855, the story follows Charlemagne(Charlie) Griffin as he travels from New York city to the battleground state of Missouri. Charlie and his father are flimflam men who manage to get $4,oo.00( the equivalent of over $100,00.00 today) from abolitionists in NYC. After his father is murdered, Charlie runs for his life with the murderers in hot pursuit. Charlie has second thoughts and becomes determined to get the money to it's intended recipients, the anti slavery forces in Missouri.
The background of the story is based on the actual state of the country in 1855, with a deeply divided nation, struggling with it's identity, leading up to the civil war. I had a hard time putting this book down, it is an engrossing and informative read.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie and his father were working a con job, a confidence game, his mother was in a asylum, hard times and hard road ahead of Charlie as he went forth in the big harsh terrible wide world, as a child and becoming a man in time, in the days and year that cometh.

There will be... “$500 REWARD Runaway from subscriber on the 9th of this month after an act of ROBBERY,” Charlie will be on the run. Will he be saved? What has he been caught up in? Will justice prevail?
There may be some love in the world for Charlie on the harrowing and haunting roads his traverses.

The hook of this narrative is one that of the fate of this child to be man, one delivered with some nice writing with sentences expounding and evoking the complexities of his life and path.

Review and excerpts @ https://more2read.com/review/a-child-went-forth-by-boston-teran/

[Willow Mammoth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started out slow for me, but it became more interesting the further in I read. When I got to the end of the story, I wanted to learn more about the characters in the story, but I couldn't find much about them. Although the author said it was based on a true story, I'm assuming they made a fictionalized account of characters who met real life ones. I wouldn't mind reading a sequel to see what happens to the characters.

Be mindful that, although it takes place in the 1850s, there is a heavy amount of racial slurs towards POC/Black people used in this story, if you're uncomfortable about that sort of thing.

[Laurie May · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am blown away by this book! It is one of the most powerful historical fiction works I have ever read. In my heart, it is a memoir, as Charlie Griffin is as real a character as has ever lived. It is a unique view of slavery, racism, and intolerance, that applies to the United States today, as much as it does to the antebellum border states.

“Any fool worth his measure would know that if there weren’t slavery, there would be something else that worked equally as well. Because the world is slavery, and slavery is inequality, and the world thrives on inequality.”

[Ed Maher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of Boston Teran before and so this book was a complete surprise. The mystery behind the author intrigued me to pick it up. I’m glad I did. After over 50 years of reading, it’s always a hoot to be caught off guard. The book and writing style are hard to classify. Historical novel told with brevity and at the same time elegant flare. I loved the short chapters. I appreciated how difficult the prelude to the Civil War seemed to be. Life was hard and living, of any sort was dangerous. I will definitely check out other books by Mr. Teran. A discovery for sure.

[Rose Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

This book is amazing! Wow. Wow. Wow. I couldn’t put it down. The author is an amazing wordsmith. The story of Charlemagne Griffin and his bravery even when he didn’t feel brave is a must read. I love the story.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a really good read. It took me a little to get into it but once I got started I into I wanted to keep going. Well written and a sad truth to the time of the storyline.

[Laura Lacayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I have read in a while. Very well written. Loved the characters and storyline. Could not put it down until I was finished reading.

[Janet Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow starting, but wow, what a story once it got going. I would have gave 5 stars had it grabbed my attention on page 1 instead of deeper in the book. Well worth reading!

[Sue Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling

Excellent story, strong writing, characters that will stay with you. Just a great book in every way; highly recommended read.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did this book not have an editor? Or, using sentence structure as Boston Teran does, "Reading this book an editor Boston Teran had for this book probably read it or didn't."... or something to that effect. This is a wonderful story, but it's ruined by the excessive action, the absolute purity of some characters and pure evil of others as well as situations that come across as ridiculous. In some chapters Charlie speaks like a wise old man, and in others like a hick from the backwoods. Occasionally this is because Charlie is a scam artist, like his dad, but I often suspected it was simply that the author didn't go back and edit his work to arrive at some sense of consistency. When an event of character didn't make sense, Teran threw in a quick aside to explain away the readers sense of doubt.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What am I, once I have seen this." and "Dark are the walls we build to stand higher than the next man. And yet these same walls keep us further from heaven." Could any two statements be more currently apropos?
This beautifully written book should touch everyone at the very soul. Charlie is the son of a con-man and well on his way to a similar life. In 1850s America, the slavers and abolitionists are already at war. In a confidence game gone wrong, Charlie sets out on a mission to return $4,000 ill-gotten dollars to the abolitionist cause in Missouri. The characters who aid and deter along the way (some real, some imagined) create a journey of excitement, drama, intrigue, and more. In the process, a boy shapes the man he will become.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable historical fiction

As I read this book an old adage played again and again. The more things change.... An excellent coming of age story set in the late antebellum Midwest with all its conflict. Charlemagne Griffin is a character which will not soon leave my mind. Although I don't think the author is aiming for sequels I would love to know the next part of Charlie's story.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7 Charlie, a 12/13 yr old boy who is black but could pass for white, is given the task of carrying money out to Midwest to the abolitionist. His upbringing was on the edge of the wild side, where Charlie’s dad swindled folks out of this money. Charlie faces several obstacles along his journey but the worse were the slave hunters. Great writing but story wasn’t my cup of tea.

[Shawn Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journey from guilt to innocence

A very solid read. Powerful messages of humanity, equality and a child delivered from evil through his choices and deeds.

[Laura Beaty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it, but it I would have enjoyed it more if I were an adolescent boy. I kept thinking of Treasure Island as I read this action, adventure tale.

[Amileigh Gordon]

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