Trading Thomas, Jamestown’s Boy Interpreter is a book of recent vintage by novelist Ora Smith. Like the title implies, it’s the story of a young teen named Thomas Savage. Thomas arrives in England’s Jamestown colony early in its history. Soon, he becomes an interpreter, a go-between for the colonists of Jamestown and the Native Americans who live in the region, particularly the chief Powhatan.
Although this book has a teenage main character, it’s not strictly for young adult readers. Adults who enjoy stories about young people can read Trading Thomas as well.
Trading Thomas is also a bit of a family history. The author, Ora Smith, states that she’s a descendant of Thomas Savage. (Twelve generations removed, as I recall.) Let’s explore some of the basics about this book.
Trading Thomas – The Plot
Young Thomas has two reasons for going from England to Jamestown. One, his father has already decided to go. He sends a letter home describing his experiences. Second, Thomas’s mother suffers an untimely death. She tells Thomas of a vision she’s had of him in Virginia during her dying moments. He takes this as a sign that he must go and join his father.
Thomas’s brother Richard goes as well. On arrival, the leaders of Jamestown (remember John Smith?) notice that Thomas has an education and seems to pick up on language quickly. Thus, the leaders send Thomas to serve the colony by living with Chief Powhatan at Werewocomoco. Officially an interpreter, he’s somewhat of a spy, too.
I won’t say much more about the plot to spoil your enjoyment. Although, if you’ve ever read an accurate history of the Jamestown colony, you know that a good number of the colonists end up dead in the colony’s early years. You also know that relations with local Native Americans were not always peaceful.
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Style of Trading Thomas
The book is a good fit for readers in their mid-teens and up. The age level of the intended audience is probably why Smith took the time to explain many things. Life aboard a sailing vessel of the early 1600s, for instance. Smith explains some of the terms used in sailing and while living on a ship. It slows the pace of the story a bit, but for younger readers who don’t know any of these terms, it’s probably helpful. Likewise with some of the customs of the Native Americans Thomas meets during his career as interpreter.
The book is also a coming of age story. Because Thomas has just become a teenager when the story begins, he’s looking for his place in life. He’s literate, so he’s got a few more options than most English boys of the early 1600s. Throughout the book, Thomas constantly questions what purpose he’s supposed to serve and what his place in life should ultimately be. Which is normal enough, although he proves quite a fan of rhetorical questions about his future.
Something I enjoyed quite a bit about Trading Thomas was that the story wasn’t too simplistic, morally speaking. The early history of Jamestown had many misunderstandings, plenty of violence, some cruelty and double-dealing, and wasn’t quite so heroic as the history textbooks some of us grew up with made it seem. Living there was dangerous and likely to get you killed, with starvation combined with disease as the most likely killer. The story does not shy away from this.
I noticed one other aspect of the story that some readers will like, but others perhaps not. At places, Smith writes as if Thomas’s actions are directed by a higher purpose—the will of God, if you want to call it that. (His mother’s visions, a voice that “speaks” to Thomas’s mind at one point, etc.)
Now, I have no trouble believing that Thomas might attribute such things to the work of God. That was pretty normal for an English person of the early 1600s. But for the modern reader of a secular bent who might be skeptical of such things as devices to move the plot along, these parts might stand out and be a bit off-putting. For modern readers of a more religious persuasion, however, perhaps they seem normal enough.
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Who Will Like the Book
It’s a solid book that quite a few people might enjoy. Historical fiction, and fiction involving teens, are two types of readers who might give the book a look. Readers who enjoy stories about the early history of the United States might enjoy the novel, too. The main character is likeable, believable, and at times shows considerable bravery. The ending is a little open, but I think more books with Thomas may be on the way in the future.
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