New Boy by Tracy Chevalier

I found this while browsing the new book shelf at one of my local libraries. It has been years since I though about Tracy Chevalier's books. I was still working at the library last time I read one. However, it's a familiar name and interesting subject matter. It's also been years since I read "Othello," so reading a retelling of the story appealed.

Chevalier recast the story as a 1970's playground drama with 11 and 12 year old characters. Osei (Othello) is the son of a Ghanaian diplomat who has just moved to a suburb of Washington D.C. and is starting at a new school at the end of the school year. He is the only black face in an otherwise homogeneously white school. Dee (Desdemona) is something of a good girl teacher's pet who is asked to help Osei adjust on his first day. The attraction is instantaneous in the way of elementary school romances.

Ian (Iago) is the self styled king of the playground and sees Osei as a threat to his dominance. He then manipulates his sort of girlfriend Mimi (Emilia) into helping him convince Osei that Dee is two timing him with Casper (Casio). Mimi, of course, doesn't realize what it is she is helping set up, but is desperate to be free of Ian.

It's a pretty faithful retelling.

Of course it ends horribly; it is "Othello" after all. Transposing it to a playground made it somehow more chilling but I wasn't convinced by how calculating Ian was and the sexual overtones that come directly from the play seemed out of place with 11 year olds. The final moment of the novel is spare in its delivery and ends with the act. Shakespeare also left us with little denouement, but there is at least a sense that Iago will be punished. As tragic as Shakespeare's Othello is, placing it on a playground with little kids just makes it even more awful.