A boy, a bear, and a holy man are the three chief characters in [The Dancing Bear], a historical novel set in sixth-century Byzantium…. The author has successfully made use of historical details to further the plot of the story, since a knowledge of the sophisticated civilization of the Byzantines and an insight into the customs and habits of the ancient Slavs and Huns are essential to an understanding of Silvester's experiences. The story itself consists of a series of lively and amusing roadside adventures, but in a larger sense, it is a comedy—the high comedy of Silvester's learning how to value and to accept freedom. Actually, several comedies are enacted at once; for Bubba's antics smack of slapstick and Holy John's preachments are delightfully preposterous. Background, character, and comedy are skillfully blended in a combination that is—at once—witty, rich, and evocative. (pp. 470, 472)

Paul Heins...