A rather odd coming of age story or an excellent work of historical fiction - all in the eye of the beholder I suppose, but at the end of the day this book is simply beautiful. The narrative voice is compelling and vivid, if a bit troubling - as when it appears to apologize for slavery, especially in the early parts of the story. The two main characters, Henry and John, are tied together in a destiny that seems essentially pre-ordained. They are apparently polar opposites whose personalities converge, you might say, converge as the story progresses. It’s heartwarming, in a way, to see Brown sticking to his convictions, zealous and somewhat unhinged though they may be; and likewise to watch Henry learn integrity, even in the face of tremendous personal danger, from Brown’s example. The story is also, as far as possible given the plot, pretty hilarious, with a particularly funny (or rather disturbing, take your pick) scene featuring a Frederick Douglass cameo. The recurrent, and eponymous, theme of good luck omens and talismans is wonderfully done and counterbalances the humor with a poignant note that comes to a sort of high note in the aftermath of the Battle of Osawatomie.

One thing I like about historical fiction is that it forces you to, as the theists like to put it, think about ultimate things. John Brown and all of his compatriots, fictional or not, have long since died, and what, indeed, did they leave behind? Did it matter how they lived their lives day-to-day, in the final analysis? I think perhaps my favorite bit of the book, as far as these questions go, is the scene with Harriet Tubman, in which she tells Henry that he would be best served by facing his own death with integrity; and my second-favorite bit is the scene in which Henry realizes (or thinks he realizes) that Brown had known his secret all along, and was taking Henry at face value all the same. It’s a marvelous story of self-discovery, which has been compared - rightly I think - to Huckleberry Finn. It’s well worth the read.