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Seventh Son
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The Tales of Alvin Maker: Book 1

Seventh Son (1987) (edit title/settings)

by Orson Scott Card (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

Young Alvin Maker is the seventh son of a seventh son. Born into an alternative frontier America where life is hard and folk magic is real, Alvin is gifted with the power. He must learn to use his gift wisely. But dark forces are arrayed against Alvin, and only a young girl with second sight... read more

Summary edit see section history

Alvin's family is migrating west. When they try to cross the Hatrack River, the Unmaker tries to stop the as-yet-unborn Alvin from becoming a Maker, sending a tree down the river to crush the wagon the pregnant Mrs. Miller is riding in. Her son Vigor diverts the tree, but is mortally wounded... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Alvin's family is migrating west. When they try to cross the Hatrack River, the Unmaker tries to stop the as-yet-unborn Alvin from becoming a Maker, sending a tree down the river to crush the wagon the pregnant Mrs. Miller is riding in. Her son Vigor diverts the tree, but is mortally wounded in the act. Because a seventh son must be born while the other six are alive, Vigor desperately clings to life until Alvin is born. Help is dispatched at the insistence of five-year-old "torch" (a person who, among other things, can see the life forces of people and under certain conditions, their myriad alternate futures) Peggy Guester, who sees Alvin and Alvin's possible future as a Maker.

As the years pass, Alvin avoids numerous attempts by the Unmaker to kill him, often helped by the intervention of Peggy, who continues to watch over him and help him use his power with her "torch" powers. When he is ten years old, Alvin encounters "Taleswapper" (William Blake) a travelling storyteller who arrives in the town his parents have founded. Meanwhile, the Reverend Philadelphia Thrower becomes a tool of the Unmaker. When the Unmaker manages to injure Alvin, Taleswapper encourages him to heal himself, and Thrower (acting as a surgeon) attempts to kill him, but finds himself unable to by a mysterious force. Alvin heals himself (with the aid of his brother Measure) and is contracted as an apprentice to a blacksmith in the town on the Hatrack River where he was born.
(From Wikipedia)

Characters/People edit see section history

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Quotes edit see section history

  • “Their horses were champing in the stable, snorting and warning each other about the storm. In every group of horses, little Peggy figgered, there must be one that's remarkable dumb, so all the others have to tell him what all's going on. Bad storm, they were saying. We're going to get a soaking, if the lightning don't smack us first. And the dumb one kept nickering and saying, What's that noise, what's that noise?”

Setting & Locations edit see section history

Alternate US historical location

First Sentence edit see section history

Little Peggy was very careful with the eggs.

Table of Contents edit see section history

1. Bloody Mary
2. Wagon People
3. Spring House
4. Hatrack River
5. Caul
6. Ridgebeam
7. Altar
8. Visitor
9. Taleswapper
10. Visions
11. Millstone
12. Book
13. Surgery
14. Chastisement
15. Promises

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1 of 6 in The Tales of Alvin Maker. (standard series)

Followed by Red Prophet.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Orson Scott Card (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Tor
Country: U.S.A.
Publication Date: 1987
ISBN: 0-312-93019-4
Page Count: 241

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PS3553.A655 S4 1987
  • Dewey: 813.54 19

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Thirteenth Child
  • Beguilement

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