Washington Black

The story of George Washington Black, a slave boy who miraculously gains freedom — and discovers the world for himself.

A black boy was born on a sugar cane plantation in the West Indies. His fate seemed certain: hard work, humiliation, and hopelessness. But unexpectedly, he gets a chance to escape the plantation thanks to his owner's brother, an inventor and explorer. From that moment on, his long journey begins: across continents, cities, and ships, among kind and cruel people. The boy observes, learns, finds his calling in drawing, and tries to understand who he is.

This is a novel about freedom and dependence, about slavery in all its manifestations, about endurance and the power of the mind. Written in the first person, the text amazes with the depth of experiences, realistic details, and linguistic skill. Before the reader is an epic story about finding oneself in a world that at first leaves no chance for this.