Cora was born on a plantation and has grown up under the harsh conditions of slavery. When another slave asks her to run away, she is hesitant and afraid but ultimately she joins him on the run. As horrid as the plantation was, the life of a runaway was just as frightening. Whitehead spares none of the brutality, the horror and the inhumane treatment that was the reality for slaves in a sordid time in American history. The story is presented through multiple points of view so readers are given an insight into different psyches. The abuse is not limited to the slaves but extends to any who attempt to assist them. There’s no sugar coating here, but raw images of monstrous behavior. Unsettling, eye-opening and informative, this book well deserves the Pulitzer and will have readers learning and gaining a better understanding of the evils of subjugation and hatred.

I knew The Underground Railroad was going to be a heavy read, but I didn't expect to have to stop and catch my breath while reading this National Book Award Winner. What a shameful part of American history.

I read this book while we were RVing last summer. This is an intriguing premise in which the underground railroad takes shape as an actual railroad built underground. Total page turner.

From my blog:
FTC Disclosure: I received an e-ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I purchased a signed first edition out of pocket when I found one at my local bookstore, though. Wasn't going to miss that opportunity!

Everyone has heard of this novel by now, and likely of the fact that Oprah liked it enough to get its release pushed up an entire month so she could feature it in her book club. I had received an early review copy & had been saving it for after the bar exam to review in time for the September release. Instead, Oprah scooped me. But Whitehead is deserving of such heaping praise.

The novel follows Cora, a slave whose mother is the only slave ever to have escaped successfully from the Randall plantation in Georgia. Cora faces horrors both unspeakable and far too common for a slave, and becomes a runaway herself. From there, Whitehead builds on the mistake all young children likely make - that the Underground Railroad is an actual railroad & uses the device to visit several states, each treating its black population with a unique form of cruelty.

There are highs and lows in this novel, but the highs are glorious. The ending is beautiful, and brought tears to my eyes. But I'll admit, I stalled at some parts. The novel alternates between vignettes telling the story of those Cora encounters, and large chunks of her tale as she reaches a new state. The structure works, but the longer chapters dragged at times, for me. I don't think this is a problem all readers will face; dreading a long chapter after I've completed a short one is a tic of mine, especially short ones as self-contained as the vignettes here. I do wish Whitehead had pushed the conceit of the novel a bit further, traveled another stop or two. Yet overall, the writing is great, the story will stick with you, and this book is worthy of the praise it has received.

Verdict: Affirmed, for historical fiction fans particularly, and literary fiction fans broadly.

"The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead, published August 2, 2016 by Doubleday books.

Goodreads:
FTC disclosure: I received an e-ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review forthcoming at sometimesiread.com. I purchased a signed, first edition hardcover on my own.

Loved this book. Took longer than I thought to read it, but the premise was fascinating & the ending spectacular.

Excellent novel. Worth all of the praise it's been getting. Whitehead takes the readers on a journal, with much to think about after the novel is over.

Cora, a slave on a Georgia plantation, escapes via the “Underground Railroad” but in Colson Whitehead’s novel this not a figurative statement, it is a literal Underground Railroad with tracks and stations throughout the South. By taking this step away from reality Whitehead is able to incorporate many of the injustices that have been perpetrated on the African American people throughout history and give us a book that shows us that we still have along way to go to make things right. I am recommending this book to everyone, I think it is a must read for all Americans. (I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.)

Cora is a woman enslaved to a Georgian cotton farmer. Her life is awful and brutal, as she faces isolation in addition to the horrors and indignities of slavery. But a new arrival to the plantation takes an interest in her and invites her to escape with him. Caesar and Cora decide to take the Underground Railroad. But in Colson Whitehead's imagining, the Railroad is not a code word but an actual train line that runs from slave states to freedom. But just escaping from their master and making it onto a train will not be enough. A slave catcher is tracking them and even the seemingly safe Northern cities hold new dangers for them.

The Underground Railroad was the 'it' book of 2016. Oprah started her book club again to endorse it, it won the National Book Award, and it seemed to be on the lips of every person who talks books. If you haven't read the book yet, rest assured that it deserves every bit of the praise. Colson Whitehead is an immensely talented writer and he manages to strike the perfect balance of brutally reporting the horrors of slavery while compelling you to continue reading.

One of the most powerful aspects of this book for me was the relentlessness that Whitehead portrays. In so many stories about slavery, it seems like a clean escape is the end of the story. Once a slave had escaped to the North, they were free. But of course it wasn't that simple. History is compressed in this novel, so the reader experiences new and terrible ways that white people oppressed and took advantage of black people throughout history.

This is a book everyone should read to experience a great modern author, to remember the horrors of slavery, and to join the conversation around this fascinating story. 

The Underground Railroad
By Colson Whitehead
Doubleday Books August 2016
306 pages
Read via Netgalley

Colson Whitehead’s interpretation of the Underground Railroad as an actual, brick-and-mortar railroad, is nothing short of brilliant. As Cora flees the Randall plantation in Georgia, she travels the rails to South Carolina, North Carolina, Indiana, and further yet. At each stop, Cora experiences a different aspect of the times, each of which magnificently mirrors racial issues/attitudes in America to come as history moves forward as well as those present today. Whitehead’s portrayal of slavery and the cultural exploration visited upon in this novel are its greatest strengths, creating an atmosphere of grief, hope, and longing. While the stark and difficult subject matter precludes me from saying this book was a pleasure to read, I will say that I am glad that I did. {Thanks to Doubleday Books & NetGalley}

I asked a reviewer to cover this one, see link below.