Fleischman has found the early years of the founding of America a fruitful time for his ideas and writing. For instance, the epidemic that took place in Philadelphia in 1793 that drove Con gress and other luminaries out of the city is the setting for Fleischman's novel Path of the Pale Horse. As with William in Saturnalia, the young hero of the novel is left with less than perfect choices in his life. Lep wishes to be a doctor, yet his iron belief in science and medicine is questioned when he cannot save those whom he loves dearly. Graven Images is also set in that semi-legendary land of early America that Fleischman is fond of. It too contains a courtship of errors that is hilarious in the same way that Saturnalia contains the error-riddled courtship of Mr. Hogwood. Coming-and-Going Men draws its inspiration from many of the...