Washington Black (Man Booker Prize Finalist)

By Esi Edugyan

Book Overview

NOW A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES - MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST - ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR - "A gripping historical narrative exploring both the bounds of slavery and what it means to be truly free." --Vanity Fair

Eleven-year-old George Washington Black--or Wash--a field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is initially terrified when he is chosen as the manservant of his master's brother. To his surprise, however, 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, they must abandon everything and flee together. Over the course of their travels, what brings Wash and Christopher together will tear them apart, propelling Wash ever farther across the globe in search of his true self. Spanning the Caribbean to the frozen Far North, London to Morocco, Washington Black is a story of self-invention and betrayal, of love and redemption, and of a world destroyed and made whole again.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525563245
• ISBN13: 9780525563242
• Release Date: April 2019
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Excited to read this book!

Just received my copy of "Washington Black" in thr mail and I'm excited to read it. I remember reading the excerpt that's posted and was pulled in by what I read. I've been looking for Steampunk stories centering Black characters for a while and I don't know what else to say other than I'm glad I was able to find "Washington Black."

One of the better books I have ever read!

This is a beautifully written book about a Englishman who takes a young slave boy under his wing to help him fly a hot air balloon. He initially chooses the boy because he is the right size for the task involved, but soon becomes aware of the boy’s potential. The story that evolves is an amazing one, not anything that one would expect. The writing is magical, the characters are delightful, and in this novel, the world is truly an amazing place! This is one book you will never forget!