The Underground Railroad

This past summer, I read The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead and really loved it. Similar to this book, it was painful to read but beautifully written and one of those books that will probably stick with me together. This one was even more painful – it tore my heart in half. Colson Whitehead has a knack for describing horrible torture and atrocities in such a straightforward manner that can be really unsettling. Some of the things he describes are visually horrific and incredibly painful to read. It’s the story of Cora, a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell, but as she approaches womanhood, it’s getting even more awful. Her and her friend Caesar hatch a plan to escape. But when things do not go as planned and Cora accidentally kills a white boy that tries to capture her, the hunt for the two of them escalates – her former master will stop at nothing to hunt her down. Making her way to South Carolina (where a different sort of atrocity awaits), and up the states looking for freedom, Cora faces terrible danger around every corner. I could not put it down. It was so upsetting and sad. I cried several times. But the writing is beautiful and this is a really important book to read. Also, Colson Whitehead’s version of the Underground Railroad (where it’s actually a series of trains and tunnels underneath the South) was really interesting and unique. Order it on Bookshop or Amazon.