Bringing Ezra Back

Bringing Ezra Back is a sequel to DeFelice's Weasel (1990) and is set in 1840 on the Ohio Frontier. Twelve year old Nathan still has trouble trusting strangers since his frightening experience with a man named Weasel. When Nathan learns that his friend, Ezra, is in Pennsylvania with a traveling show of "human oddities", he knows he must find him and bring him home. As he journeys alongside a traveling peddler, he begins to watch people to learn about human nature, and discovers that not everyone is like Weasel. In the process, he also learns about his own strength. While this book can stand alone, I would have had more insight into the characters involved if I had read Weasel first. From reviews I have read, that book seems to be much more suspenseful and mysterious than Bringing Ezra Back. However, this sequel is a good novel in its own right, and watching Nathan and other characters develop is quite interesting.