Encounter at Easton was published by Pantheon Books in 1980, continuing the story begun in Night Journeys. The two runaway indentured servants — Robert and Elizabeth — reach the town of Easton, Pennsylvania, where they are apprehended and brought before a magistrate. The novel shifts perspective between the two fugitives and the townspeople who must decide their fate, using the courtroom setting to explore the distance between colonial law (which treats indentured children as property) and justice (which recognizes their humanity).
The novel extended Avi’s examination of the colonial indenture system — a form of labor coercion that affected thousands of children in the American colonies and is often overlooked in popular accounts of colonial history.
Collecting Encounter at Easton
First edition (Pantheon Books, New York, 1980): Boards with dust jacket.
Market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $20–$50
- Very good: $8–$20
Projected values (2026–2036): Modest appreciation.
The Sequel
Encounter at Easton continues the story of the two runaway indentured servants from Night Journeys. Reaching the town of Easton, they must navigate a world where their status as runaways makes them vulnerable to capture, betrayal, and exploitation. The novel expands the moral questions of the first book: freedom is not a single dramatic choice but a continuous negotiation with a hostile world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Avi’s books available in libraries? Yes. Avi is one of the most widely held authors in American public and school libraries. His books are regularly included on state reading lists and are standard selections for literature circles and book clubs in elementary and middle schools.