Washington Black

By Esi Edugyan

Book Overview

- TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR: New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, Entertainment Weekly, Slate
- ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Boston Globe, NPR, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The Economist, Bustle
- WINNER OF THE SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE
- FINALIST FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE, THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE, THE ROGERS WRITERS' TRUST PRIZE

Enthralling --Boston Globe Extraordinary --Seattle Times A rip-roaring tale --Washington Post

A dazzling adventure story 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?

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525521429
• ISBN13: 9780525521426
• Release Date: September 2018
• Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.61 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.6" x 9.3"

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!