Precept - A Novel
| Author | Matthew de Lacey Davidson |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Published | March 16, 2018 (First Edition Design Publishing) |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
| Pages | |
| ISBN | 978-1506905907 Search this book on  . |
| Preceded by | Roses in December: Haunting and Macabre Tales (2018)' |
PRECEPT – A Novel is a 2018 novel written by Canadian author Matthew de Lacey Davidson which is a fictionalized account of the four months 19th Century civil rights leader and abolitionist Frederick Douglass spent in Ireland. It is told from the perspective of a young Irish boy, Nathan Whyte, who describes Douglass encountering The Great Famine in Ireland, and later, meeting Irish civil rights leader Dan O’Connell.[1]. It was published by First Edition Design Publishing in March, 2018, and was reviewed in The Bookbag shortly thereafter.
Historical context[edit]
Set against the dramatic backdrop of 19th Century American slavery, and Ireland’s Great Famine, Frederick Douglass, in real life, spent almost two years in the British Isles to escape capture by his former owner, after publishing his Narrative, which describes his is life as a slave in great detail. In Davidson’s book, Douglass is met and observed by the young son of his British publisher, who observes Douglass as he starts his speaking tour in Ireland, and encounters the beginnings of the Great Famine [2].
Plot summary[edit]
In the Autumn of 1845, Frederick Douglass arrives in Ireland with his travelling companion, Abraham Abegg. He is met by the brother of Daniel Whyte (who will publish Douglass’s British edition of his Narrative), who asks him to recount how he was nearly thrown overboard on the trip from the United States to Britain. Upon arriving in downtown Dublin, Daniel Whyte invites Douglass and Abegg to see a small Irish town where the Great Famine is just beginning. After seeing the devastation, and returning to Dublin, Douglass makes his first of many speeches, and sells almost all of the copies of his Narrative in his possession. Daniel eventually asks Nathan to accompany him to Belfast, where he sees Douglass file suit against a former inhabitant of Belfast for defamation. Afterwards, as the American guests are about to leave, Douglass shares with Nathan the means whereby to attain maturity.
Major characters[edit]
- 1. Frederick Douglass: 19th Century civil rights leader and Orator.
- 2. Nathan Whyte: A young Irish boy who observes Douglass in his first successes.
- 3. Daniel Whyte: Nathan’s father, who is good-hearted, but not inspiring.
- 4. Abraham Abegg: Douglass’s travelling companion.
Cover art[edit]
The cover of PRECEPT was designed by the author. It is a collage of a public domain photograph of Frederick Douglass, a shutterstock image of the Irish countryside, and a small scroll. [3].
Title[edit]
The title refers to the words of Frederick Douglass to Nathan, who encourages him to use his critical thinking skills.
Themes[edit]
The major themes are compassion in the face of adversity[1], and Joseph Campbell’s theory of the Search for the Father[4]. The author has stated that the novel is, in part, a pastiche of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and that techniques employed by playwright Tom Stoppard are used, as well. [5]
Reception[edit]
Jill Murphy, reviewing the book in the Bookbag.co.uk, described the novel as, “…a short novel but it has a big impact…an important and often moving story, elegantly written.”[1]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Bookbag "Jill Murphy, The Bookbag, review of PRECEPT". Retrieved on April 22, 2018.
- ↑ Goodreads "Matthew de Lacey Davidson, Goodreads Author". Retrieved on April 22, 2018.
- ↑ PRECEPT – A Novel (Some brief notes on historical accuracy, page 135, First Edition Design Publishing, March 16, 2018)
- ↑ PRECEPT – A Novel (Some brief notes on historical accuracy, page 136-7, First Edition Design Publishing, March 16, 2018)
- ↑ "Using Pastiche to Create Convincing Historical Fiction by Matthew de Lacey Davidson". Writing.ie. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
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