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Title: The Thieves of Ostia (Roman Mysteries)
ISBN: 0752861255
Author:
Caroline Lawrence
Publicate Date: 2004-02-05
Publish: 2004-02-05
List Price: $26.85
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Audio CD
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $16.08
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $83.68
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1: theves of ostia
My daughter loved the story can wait for me to buy her the rest of the stories
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2: An Engaging Mystery
I came upon the Roman Mystery series by chance and since I enjoy novels set in Roman times I investigated a bit further, and after visiting Caroline Lawrence's web site I decided to read the series (now up to 17 books). I enjoy historical novels about Rome and have read several, including those of Robert Harris, but I have not read any mystery books before. The Roman Mysteries is intended for children (ages around 9 - 12) but I think that adult readers will enjoy them just as much because they are skillfully written and present Roman daily life in an interesting and very down-to-earth way. I liked the details that Ms. Lawrence included such as colors, which provide a little extra detail that bring her scenes to life. Just to name one item of accuracy, I appreciated the banquet scenes where the children sit at a table instead of recline because they are not yet adults.
The characters are well thought out and compliment each other. Flavia Gemina is a precocious girl who has been well-educated by her father. Her next-door neighbor Doctor Mordecai being Jewish adds to the color of the story and reminds us of the vastness of the Roman Empire and the intermixing of cultures that occurred in such places as Rome. Doctor Mordecai's son Jonathan is quite a resourceful friend for Flavia as she pursues the mystery of this story and when they find themselves in trouble. The character of Nubia introduces slavery into the story and provides plenty of discussion on the treatment of slaves and how they were viewed by the Romans. Nubia, being from Africa, brings a more exotic culture into the story. She is fortunate in that Flavia has compassion over her plight (and the fact that they are about the same age) but for this story Nubia remains a slave and although treated as a friend she is still Flavia's property. The final character of the four children is Lupus who is a child of the streets and as such can do things and go to places where Flavia and Jonathan dare not enter.
The Thieves of Ostia is well-written and fast paced; the kind of book that you do not want to put down until all has been revealed. Having read some of the other reviews I can say that I did not think that Christianity was overly emphasized and even though three of the dogs in the story are brutally killed Ms. Lawrence does not include horrific descriptions that I found disturbing and I do not think that older children would be either. The book has a helpful map of Ostia and a glossary in the back for terms used that are probably not familiar for a younger reader. My wife thought it interesting that the chapters are referred to as scrolls, making a neat reference to the way ancient books were written. I am looking forward to the other books in the series and, if we are lucky enough in the US, to see the television series based on the Roman Mystery books.
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3: Steal Away Some Time to Read This Book
The Thieves of Ostia is the first book in Lawrence's Roman Mysteries Series; a romping, non-stop adventure that takes place in 79 A.D. in Ostia a port city of the Roman Empire. In this story we meet the young mystery solver Flavia Gemina, a Roman sea captain's daughter; her father, Captian Marcus Flavius Geminus; Jonathan, her neighbor and secretly Christian; Jonathan's father Mordecai ben Ezra (a physician); Jonathan's sister, Miriam; Nubia, Flavia's slave (purchased for the purpose of emancipation); and Lupus, the beggar boy without a tongue. These are the "main players" and there are, naturally a host of secondary and peripheral characters in this Roman mystery story. At the beginning of the book is a map of Ostia AND a floor plan for Flavia and Jonathan's houses, which are both very helpful to the reader, especially since this book is aimed at young readers (9-11) how may or may not already have learned a bit about how Roman's lived. I found the floor plan to be particularly appealing, a nice visual to go with what I already knew about Roman dwellings, a very nice addition to the story!
As the story begins, Flavia is hot on the trail of one kind of thief...the winged kind...trying to tack down her fathers signet ring that went missing off of his desk. She quickly tracks it down (and a small hoard of treasure) but is attacked by a pack of wild dogs. Jonathan saves her by throwing rocks at the dogs while they run to his house and safety. There his farther, Mordecai treats her ankle and she meets his sister and their dog. She returns home, with Jonathan's help and introduces him to her father. This is, of course, the start of a true and lasting friendship between her and Jonathan (and the two families...despite the fact that her family is Roman and his family is secretly Christian).
Falvia and her father take her treasure to a goldsmith and she gets enough gold to buy a 12 year old Nubian girl that they passed on the way to the goldsmith...Flavia was disturbed that she could be bought as a wife (a girl her own age), so she buys her with plans to emancipate her later on. Shortly thereafter Jonathan's guard dog is murdered and the head is cut off. She and Jonathan set out to use logic and imagination (inspired by her Greek Tutor) to get to the heart of the mystery. What ensues is a fast-paced thriller of a mystery that pulls no punches when it comes to violence which is strange since the author felt the need to minimize the impact and reality of slavery. The violence that can and does happen to them is discussed briefly, but for the most part, slaves are either peripherally mentioned or treated as equals (as is the case with Nubia).
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable mystery/thriller/adventure book for young readers that is heavy on the details of Roman daily life (a big plus), is highly descriptive with likable and believable characters (for the most part) and a mystery that is intriguing yet easy to figure out, a nice combination to be sure. My only "complaints" would be the heavy handed Christian message that comes through, while not so bad that it detracts from the book, it's clear that penning a mystery that demonstrates the daily life of Romans in the first century of the common era was not a the top of the authors list of things to do...it was second, below her desire to pass on a message about the rise of a new monotheistic religion and it's Sheppard God and is, in places, positively dripping with Christian propaganda. This combined with the forced equality between Nubia, Flavia, the beggar boy and Jonathan makes the whole thing slightly cringe worthy...however, despite the fact that I don't appreciate being bonked over the head with Christianity, it's a good book and something I think most kids will get a kick out of. I give it three stars, a light and entertaining read despite its flaws.
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4: The best history book ever!
I went on a trip to Italy and forgot something to read when I was on the long long long long long train trip home. Before boarding the train I begged my mother to let me look in a book store in the train station. I got to the store and went to the English kids area and all thay had were Narnia and all the Harry Potter books I have already read. I was hoping that thay would have Warriors by Erin Hunter but I found this book instead. The cover of the European edition was prettier then this one. I have been reading the series ever since. Unlike another reviewer, I do not think it emphasizes Christianity too much. The Christianity is in the book because it is part of the history of the time period.
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5: Entertaining and Educational
Flavia is a Roman girl with a nose for danger. With her gang of friends, she sets off on an investigation to find the real answers for the sudden and very questionable deaths of the dogs in her neighborhood. This is first and foremost a historical fiction novel. However, it is also very much a mystery caper and spine-tingling and bone-chilling adventure all rolled into one. The Thieves of Ostia is an academically-enriching experience. Perhaps the best part of Lawrence's book is that the educational aspect of this story is wrapped under a guise of entertainment, thereby making it easier for children to not only learn about Roman life in the year A.D. 79, but also to WANT to learn more about it. In fact, even adults will find Lawrence's book fun and amusing to read. Lawrence succeeds in providing a balance of a good story with a good dosage of factual information.
The Thieves of Ostia has italicized vocabulary words such as bulla and much more within its pages. In this way, children will learn new terminology that relate to Roman life. Librarians and teachers will find that though this book is meant for third grade and up, this is a novel with material useful to older kids as well. There are literary allusions to Pliny and references to the Aeneid by Virgil. This is a perfect companion book to a classroom study on Roman life and living.
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