The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

"The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead is the story of Cora as she escapes the plantation where she has lived and been enslaved her entire life. Her story is punctuated with vignettes following the people that pushed her along on her journey, everyone from her mother to the man that followed her throughout her journey in an effort to take her back to the cotton plantation in Georgia that she escaped, showing what happens to them when she is not around to see.

It's hard to say that I loved this book because the story was so heartbreaking. Colson Whitehead does an amazing job of reminding us of pieces of our history that we would rather forget, but never should. And he writes an alternate version of history in such a way that you start to forget that it isn't real. This is a story of heartbreak and perseverance and betrayal and the question of 'what if?'. Every piece of it will make you think as the beautiful writing pulls you through the story. And in a world where people claim that racism doesn't exist anymore and Kanye West says that he thinks slavery was a choice, this novel brings up ideas and topics that are important to think about.

I recommend this book, but I will admit that it was rough to read. The writing was stunning, but the subject matter was intense, as it should be. So if your intent when you read is to escape the awfulness of the world around you, maybe a book about escaping slavery isn't the best choice. But if you're wanting to read something that will remind you of the horrors of our history and how those horrors are not entirely of the past, this book will give you that.

XO, Ellen