The Underground Railroad (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel（封面随机）

WinnerofthePulitzerPrizeandtheNationalBookAward,the#1NewYorkTimesbestsellerfromColsonWhitehead,amagnificenttourdeforcechroniclingayoungslave'sadventuresasshemakesadesperatebidforfreedomintheantebellumSouthCoraisaslaveonacottonplantationinGeorgia.Lifeishellforalltheslaves,butespeciallybadforCora;anoutcastevenamongherfellowAfricans,sheiscomingintowomanhood—whereevengreaterpainawaits.WhenCaesar,arecentarrivalfromVirginia,tellsherabouttheUndergroundRailroad,theydecidetotakeaterrifyingriskandescape.Mattersdonotgoasplanned—Corakillsayoungwhiteboywhotriestocaptureher.Thoughtheymanagetofindastationandheadnorth,theyarebeinghunted.   InWhitehead’singeniousconception,theUndergroundRailroadisnomeremetaphor—engineersandconductorsoperateasecretnetworkoftracksandtunnelsbeneaththeSouthernsoil.CoraandCaesar’sfirststopisSouthCarolina,inacitythatinitiallyseemslikeahaven.Butthecity’splacidsurfacemasksaninsidiousschemedesignedforitsblackdenizens.Andevenworse:Ridgeway,therelentlessslavecatcher,iscloseontheirheels.Forcedtofleeagain,Coraembarksonaharrowingflight,statebystate,seekingtruefreedom.   Liketheprotagonistof Gulliver’sTravels, Coraencountersdifferentworldsateachstageofherjourney—hersisanodysseythroughtimeaswellasspace.AsWhiteheadbrilliantlyre-createstheuniqueterrorsforblackpeopleinthepre–CivilWarera,hisnarrativeseamlesslyweavesthesagaofAmericafromthebrutalimportationofAfricanstotheunfulfilledpromisesofthepresentday. TheUndergroundRailroad isatonceakineticadventuretaleofonewoman’sferociouswilltoescapethehorrorsofbondageandashattering,powerfulmeditationonthehistoryweallshare.