The Underground Railroad in Around the World in 80 Books

Feb 17, 2017 Astrid Lim rated it it was amazing

Shelves: america, literature, historical-fiction, tragedy, culture, dramatic, race, history, popsugar-2017

Not for the fainted hearts!!! The story of Cora needs to be digested slowly.. it felt so far yet very near.. it felt like coming from another era.. but very relevant with current days. This is a story about how a nation as big as America has started their greatness in a really, really wrong way. The horrors, the sadness and the meanness of it, united into a touching and important story. Sometimes we need to wake up from our delusion and face the harsh reality. Highly recommended!

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Jan 27, 2017 Ken rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

It's very well-written, and I really felt I cared about the characters. I didn't find the characters distant or impersonal; I found them perhaps emotionally damaged and worthy of pity. I do find the political and human story of slavery to be fascinating, and this book is a worthy addition to the existing literature.

It's a minor point, but I should say, I think the conceit of the "underground railroad" being literal didn't work for me. Whatever symbolic meaning this brought to the story was lost ...more

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Jul 14, 2019 Julie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: to-read-own

This book is powerful, heart wrenching, and riveting. It should be required reading of all American adults; we are all made better having read it. I suspect I’ll be thinking about for a long time. Colson Whitehead is a national treasure.

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May 15, 2021 Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: to-read-2019, to-read-2020

This book was beautiful and moving and yet painful in a deep way. It’s a look at the meaning and legacy of slavery that I think is important for us all.

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