From the author of the award-winning international best seller Half-Blood Blues comes a dazzling new novel, about a boy who rises from the ashes of slavery to become a free man of the world.
George Washington Black, or "Wash," an eleven-year-old field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is terrified to be chosen by his master's brother as his manservant. To his surprise, the eccentric Christopher Wilde turns out to be a naturalist, explorer, inventor, and abolitionist. Soon Wash is initiated into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky, where even a boy born in chains may embrace a life of dignity and meaning--and where two people, separated by an impossible divide, can begin to see each other as human. But when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash's head, Christopher and Wash must abandon everything. What follows is their flight along the eastern coast of America, and, finally, to a remote outpost in the Arctic. What brings Christopher and Wash together will tear them apart, propelling Wash even further across the globe in search of his true self. From the blistering cane fields of the Caribbean to the frozen Far North, from the earliest aquariums of London to the eerie deserts of Morocco, Washington Black tells a story of self-invention and betrayal, of love and redemption, of a world destroyed and made whole again, and asks the question, What is true freedom?
George Washington Black, or "Wash," an eleven-year-old field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is terrified to be chosen by his master's brother as his manservant. To his surprise, the eccentric Christopher Wilde turns out to be a naturalist, explorer, inventor, and abolitionist. Soon Wash is initiated into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky, where even a boy born in chains may embrace a life of dignity and meaning--and where two people, separated by an impossible divide, can begin to see each other as human. But when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash's head, Christopher and Wash must abandon everything. What follows is their flight along the eastern coast of America, and, finally, to a remote outpost in the Arctic. What brings Christopher and Wash together will tear them apart, propelling Wash even further across the globe in search of his true self. From the blistering cane fields of the Caribbean to the frozen Far North, from the earliest aquariums of London to the eerie deserts of Morocco, Washington Black tells a story of self-invention and betrayal, of love and redemption, of a world destroyed and made whole again, and asks the question, What is true freedom?
Sort:
Comments
2
bennettgavrish
(Grade: A–) The story begins on an island plantation - the most constricting landscape of the early Americas. But Edugyan’s novel is one of expansion and movement, both in a geographic and spiritual sense. The narrator’s escape from slavery is just one of his many voyages, as he discovers the truth of freedom in various ports, on the mainland and abroad. Urgency carries throughout the text, with the author aiming to tell a story of humanity, not politics. The result is a timeless and powerful fable.
(Grade: A–) The story begins on an island plantation - the most constricting landscape of the early Americas. But Edugyan’s novel is one of expansion and movement, both in a geographic and spiritual sense. The narrator’s escape from slavery is just one of his many voyages, as he discovers the truth of freedom in various ports, on the mainland and abroad. Urgency carries throughout the text, with the author aiming to tell a story of humanity, not politics. The result is a timeless and powerful fable.(Rated on Feb 9, 2019)
2
RemusLupin
(Grade: A–) I loved the science focus in this book & think the author succeeded in balancing historical accuracy and fiction. There was enough of a story to feel connected to the characters & enough history to feel like I learned something about the harsh realities of that time period. The commentary on slavery and the treatment of black people in society, even by kind white characters, had me emotionally invested. Wash’s journey was compelling & interesting, though I felt that the ending was a bit rushed.
(Grade: A–) I loved the science focus in this book & think the author succeeded in balancing historical accuracy and fiction. There was enough of a story to feel connected to the characters & enough history to feel like I learned something about the harsh realities of that time period. The commentary on slavery and the treatment of black people in society, even by kind white characters, had me emotionally invested. Wash’s journey was compelling & interesting, though I felt that the ending was a bit rushed. (Rated on Feb 28, 2019)