Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
“Sometimes if you want something bad enough, your dreams get answered. Sometimes if you’re scared enough, you get so strong you can do near anything…”
~ Christopher Paul Curtis, Elijah of Buxton
I have just recently finished reading a book called Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. It has been on my reading list forever. I finally got around to reading it and I am glad I did.
I have previously read two Christopher Paul Curtis books, being Bud, Not Buddy (you can find my review of that one here) and The Mighty Miss Malone.
Brief Summary of Elijah of Buxton
Elijah of Buxton is a fascinating story about a young eleven-year-old boy named (unsurprisingly) Elijah. He was the first child to be born free in Buxton, Canada. His parents had been slaves, as had every other person living in Buxton.
The story takes you through the challenge of being a young boy with strong emotions, and tendency to feel weak, living amidst a community of tough, former slaves with immense control over their emotions.
Seeing the life of a young boy, born free, having the privilege of getting an education, and never being owned by anyone. Elijah has heard the stories his parents tell about their slavery in America, and about their escape.
But, not until a bad turn of events happens does he witness the horror of it in person.
My Thoughts About This Book
I enjoyed reading Elijah of Buxton, for the most part. It was well written and the story felt relatable in many of the scenes.
Though I enjoyed reading the book I found the ending rather disappointing. I felt that there was no real conclusion drawn, and that none of the major problems were resolved. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I will merely say I was very unsatisfied with the ending.
I think what disappointed me that most about the ending, was that the rest of the story was so great. It was building up fantastically, and I could imagine the perfect ending as I was nearing the end of the book, and then the end came, but the story just didn’t feel concluded.
However, I would still recommend this book because the main story was so excellent. There are many books where the story is great but the ending does not satisfy us. That does not mean the book should not be read, and it doesn’t necessarily mean the ending is bad either. It is just not how I would have written it.
Elijah of Buxton is worth the read, despite the ending and I highly recommend it.
It is suitable for middle grade aged children and high school students. It has many valuable lessons to learn and the story is very enjoyable. It might be a little too sensitive for a younger audience, but children 10 years or older would benefit from reading Elijah of Buxton.
I hope you enjoyed reading this review. If you did, then please consider sharing it and check out our other posts. If you or your child has read Elijah of Buxton, please let me know what you thought of it in the comment section below.
Happy Reading and Writing!