Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

 

Title: Washington Black

Author: Esi Edugyan

Genre: Fiction


Synopsis: "Eleven-year-old George Washington Black—or Wash—a field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is initially terrified when he is chosen as the manservant of his master’s brother. To his surprise, however, the eccentric Christopher Wilde turns out to be a naturalist, explorer, inventor, and abolitionist. Soon Wash is initiated into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky, where even a boy born in chains may embrace a life of dignity and meaning, and where two people, separated by an impossible divide, can begin to see each other as human.

 
But when a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash’s head, they must abandon everything and flee together. Over the course of their travels, what brings Wash and Christopher together will tear them apart, propelling Wash ever farther across the globe in search of his true self. Spanning the Caribbean to the frozen Far North, London to Morocco, Washington Black is a story of self-invention and betrayal, of love and redemption, and of a world destroyed and made whole again." - Back Cover

My Thoughts

After I finished reading my last book, I used my Christmas and birthday gift cards to go on a book buying spree and purchased 7 books that were on my TBR list, this was one that had been on my list for a while.

I loved Wash's story, especially his transition from enslaved field worker to young artist while assisting Titch. Having his passion for art lead him to the Goff family and allow him to renew his passion for drawing wildlife as a young adult was an inspired choice by the author, and I enjoyed his transition to life in England.

In the end, I felt let down by the last section of the book when Wash travels to Morroco. This portion of the story felt rushed and at odds with the rest of the writing. I felt the ending was unresolved, not in a good way that keeps you wanting more, instead, the reader feels like, 'Oh, that's the end?' I think an epilogue may have been appropriate, if not another chapter, to make the novel feel complete.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

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