A retelling of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the escaped slave that accompanies Huck on his adventures, Jim. It had very good reviews and was shortlisted for the Booker, but I wasn't too enthusiastic about it as it didn't really appeal. Maybe because Huck Finn isn't a book i love (i may not even have read it, but I know the story), and I'm not a huge fan of slave stories (that's my white privilege showing). However, the book had such an impact on me and I feel so guilty now. It gave me a whole new perspective on the hopelessness of being a slave, and the way Everett turns a 2-dimensional stereotypical character into an intelligent, sensitive, thoughtful person trapped in an impossible situation and having to watch his every move and utterance while living in constant fear of death or punishment - wow. I feel admonished, but hopefully I'm a little wiser and more sensitive now.
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