Colson Whitehead, "The Underground Railroad"

http://www.politics-prose.com/book/97... In his sixth novel—the latest Oprah’s Book Club pick—Whitehead recreates the brutal antebellum south, following Cora as she escapes from slavery on a Georgia cotton plantation, killing a young white man in the process, and heads for freedom somewhere up north. In this mesmerizing reimagining by the award-winning author of The Intuitionist and John Henry Days, however, the Underground Railroad is exactly that: a network of tracks and tunnels built below the ground. While parts of it seem like a true refuge, other places are rife with slave-catchers and other, more insidious threats. Part adventure, part history, and part meditation on the meaning of “freedom,” Whitehead’s novel is very much a portrait of today’s America. Whitehead will be in conversation with WAMU reporter Jonathan Wilson. Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics & Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics & Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online. Visit them on the web at http://www.politics-prose.com/ Produced by Michael A. Kowaleski