When the word African is involved in the category list it is sure as hell that we would observe a hint of slavery sooner or later. This book does not present it in a hidden way as slavery appears to be the prime motive of discussion in the whole novel before fiction takes over and steals the show. Esi Edugyan tells us about a boy who makes a new life for himself after getting his freedom back by breaking the shackles of slavery.
George Washington Black nick named Wash was a slave of a landlord who appointed him on sugar plantation when he was just eleven years of age. Even in this tender age there was no mercy for him because he was a slave and thus it was his duty to serve the master the way he desired.
Luckily Wash is selected by his master’s brother who had a different approach about the black people and in general about the humans. Wash for the first time comes to know what humans and humanity are. As he starts feeling free tragedy once again struck his luck when he was thought to be a culprit in the crime which he never did.
Thus in desperation he finally runs towards the east and then perhaps far away than that region so that he can understand who he really is. It is a real master piece that Dion Graham narrate and reminds us about stories like Half-Blood Blues and The Second Life of Samuel Tyne by the same author. Story development is strong and the writer takes the help of the historical events and figures too, although such things move in the background but still it lays a strong foundation of everything that is about to follow.
