There are several kinds of happiness . . . Sometimes we don’t understand the one granted to us.
Picture a Caribbean slave boy, alone in a cruel world save for one mercurial mother-figure. Picture him plucked from the fields to assist a scientist, given a pen that unlocks his artistic genius. Picture him hideously disfigured, whisked away in a hot-air balloon, and taken to the Arctic only to be abandoned by his “savior”. Picture him on the run from bounty hunters and his own guilt at beating destiny as he searches for his identity and finds love. Picture yourself transported by a tale that is anything but predictable. Equal parts Harriet Beecher Stowe, Charles Dickens and Jules Verne, it’s not hard to picture why Esi Edugyan’s 2018 genre-defying fiction Washington Black won Canada’s Giller Prize and was shortlisted for The Man Booker.
Despite the book’s tremendous success, there are detractors who ask what it’s all about, but don’t let that dissuade you from embarking on the adventure. Sometimes the reason for what happens is that there is no reason, and that too is a fine premise for a story. Regardless, Wash’s story will ensnare you with its imagination and contemplative quest. Curious about the author’s intent? Watch is Waterstones Interview with the author.