M.P. Barker

About me:

I'm a time traveler—well, actually an archivist and historian, which amounts to the same thing. I got a firsthand taste (sometimes literally!) of nineteenth-century New England rural life when I was a costumed interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village. There I milked cows, mucked out barns, and found inspiration for my historical novel, A Difficult Boy (Holiday House). Now working as an archivist, I visit a different time and place with every diary, letter, and photograph I catalog. I'm also a freelance historical consultant--I've written exhibit text, scripts for historical dramatizations, nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, fundraising materials, and planning studies.

About my book - A Difficult Boy:

A Difficult Boy is a historical novel about the friendship that grows between two young indentured servants--one of them Irish--as they struggle to overcome their tyrannical master and win their freedom in nineteenth-century New England.

It's 1839. Nine-year-old Ethan doesn't want to work for Mr. Lyman, the wealthy shopkeeper in their small Massachusetts town. But Ethan has no choice—-it's the only way to pay off his family’s debt to the man. Ethan tries to befriend the Lymans’ other indentured servant, but Daniel, as everyone says, is a difficult boy. Sixteen years old, Irish, and moody, Daniel brushes off Ethan as if he were a pesky gnat. Ethan resolves to ignore the brusque older boy, but is then shocked to see how cruelly Mr. Lyman treats Daniel. Soon, Ethan, too, is suffering Mr. Lyman’s blows, and the two boys have only each other, as no one—-not Ethan’s well-meaning but timid father; not Silas, Mr. Lyman’s aloof oldest son, whose own back bears the scars of his father’s beatings—-comes to their aid.

As Ethan and Daniel forge a tentative friendship, Daniel teaches Ethan how to ride a horse and even how to speak Gaelic. But when Daniel stands up to the Lymans to protect Ethan from further harm, the boys set off a chain of events that may land Daniel in prison. Will Ethan be able to save his friend? And will others finally have the courage to do what is right for this not-so-difficult boy?

A Difficult Boy is a PEN New England Children's Book Caucus Discovery Award Winner.

Find out more and read the first chapter on my website at www.mpbarker.net

Press reviews:
"Barker’s gift for historical detail illuminates this absorbing first novel, accurately portraying the pleasures and the harsh realities of 19th-century Massachusetts farm life. From describing exactly how to milk a treacherous cow to the precise way a servant ties and knots her shawl over a dress that is 'the color of an overdone Indian pudding,' the author adds authenticity to her well-constructed story...Readers will like this book for its attention to heady issues like early prejudice against the Irish (Daniel is Irish) and the treatment of indentured servants as young as themselves, and for its satisfying and hopeful conclusion." --Publisher's Weekly (28 Apr 2008)

"What was the life of an indentured servant but that of a slave? M.P. Barker brings it ringingly, cringingly to life...A Difficult Boy hinges on the efforts of two boys—one social, one circumstantially remote, soon to be friends—to escape their brutalized existence... Then there is Ivy, a horse that bonds the boys and provides their ticket out." --Kirkus Reviews, First Fiction Special Issue (15 Apr 2008, p. 17)

"How Ethan and Daniel bolster each other and escape Mr. Lyman's tyranny makes for a memorable tale of friendship and a fascinating glimpse into mid-19th-century Massachusetts. Like L. M. Elliott's Give Me Liberty (HarperCollins, 2006), this is an eye-opening look at indentured servitude in American history." --Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA, School Library Journal (1 May 2008)

Reviews from teen readers: "Most of all this book is about friendship and the importance of friendship. It is just a beautiful story set to a beautiful background...Daniel and Ethan's relationship grows and evolves as the story goes on.
"My favorite aspect of the book is how real it feels. The racism Daniel gets. The hardships Ethan goes through. Their friendship even all feels very real..........and that's why I love this book. I read it within 24 hours and I couldn't put it down. At about Chapter 6 you will be hooked! I recommend this for all historical readers as well as those looking for a wonderful story about friendship." --Trainspotting Reads Teen Book Reviews

About the book trailer:
"Inisheer," the absolutely gorgeous background music on this video, is played by multi-talented Irish musician Sharon Hussey, who graciously gave me permission to use her recording of this lovely Thomas Walsh compostion. See this Folk World article for the story behind the tune. The video was created by Madison Meyer of M..2.. Productions and Joseph M. Barker, the love of my life (with a little teeny bit of input from yours truly). The images of the indenture document, Mr. Lyman, the man on the hay cart, and the 19th-century town common are used courtesy of the local history archives of the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum. All other images are from istockphoto.