Theras and His Town

Young Theras, born an Athenian, is taken to Sparta by a relative when his father is lost at war. He is forced to live like a Spartan, a brutal life with no pity for those who are not physically perfect and totally obedient to Spartan control. After enduring rigorous training and repeated cruel incidents, he escapes with a Perioikoi boy and heads for his beloved Athens. Here is the story of a hard and dangerous journey, including an escape from slavers.

Young Theras, born an Athenian, is taken to Sparta by a relative when his father is lost at war. He is forced to live like a Spartan, a brutal life with no pity for those who are not physically perfect and totally obedient to Spartan control. After enduring rigorous training and repeated cruel incidents, he escapes with a Perioikoi boy and heads for his beloved Athens. Here is the story of a hard and dangerous journey, including an escape from slavers.

This kids' book is the tale of boy in ancient Athens who gets hauled off to Sparta after his father is lost in a war. In those days, of course, Athenians and Spartans had different cultures and really didn't care for each other. So you get a nice peek into the different cultures and lives of the typical residents. (Though I have to warn you that the author has a bit of a preference for the Athenian lifestyle.) It's a somewhat interesting tale, but the historical exposition is a bit overboard and the characters rather two dimensional. True, it's only a kids' book, but in the past year I've descovered what good childrens' literature is like. This is only good waiting room material.
--J.