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Washington Black

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Washington Black

By: Esi Edugyan
Narrated by: Dion Graham
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About this listen

SOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SERIES STARRING TOM ELLIS, RUPERT GRAVES AND STERLING K. BROWN

'A masterpiece' ATTICA LOCKE

'Strong, beautiful and beguiling' OBSERVER

'Destined to become a future classic ... that rare book that should appeal to every kind of reader' GUARDIAN

When two English brothers take the helm of a Barbados sugar plantation, Washington Black - an eleven-year-old field slave - finds himself selected as personal servant to one of them. The eccentric Christopher 'Titch' Wilde is a naturalist, explorer, scientist, inventor and abolitionist, whose single-minded pursuit of the perfect aerial machine mystifies all around him.
Titch's idealistic plans are soon shattered and Washington finds himself in mortal danger. They escape together, but then Titch disappears and Washington must make his way alone, following the promise of freedom further than he ever dreamed possible.
Inspired by a true story, Washington Black is an extraordinary tale of a world destroyed and made whole again.

©2018 Ideas of March Inc. (P)2018 Random House Audio African American Fiction Historical Fiction Thought-Provoking Heartfelt Inspiring Caribbean

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All stars
Most relevant  
An epic story beautifully performed, deeply moving and constantly interesting . I’m off to buy her other books

Profoundly moving

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Well written and descriptive, immersing you into the world of Washington Black and his incredible adventure across continents

Amazing story

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It’s always a pleasure to immerse yourself in a beautifully written story. I suspect it will stay with me for a few days

Elegant, sad, important

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A fairly intense start, so be warned.
Beautifully written, wonderful characterisation, riveting storyline. Science and fantasy in a fascinating mix.

Absolutely superb

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Good story, disappointing ending, but most irritating narration - spoke really fast had trouble understanding it!

Good story

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black/white, parent/child, master/slave relationships of the Island of my birth. now need to find truth

thought provoking

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This was an impulse purchase bought as part of an Audible 2 for 1 deal alongside Ducks, Newburyport. The contrast between the two could not be more stark, Washington Black leaves you with nothing but empathy for it's characters, no matter how flawed, while Ducks, Newburyport leaves you with nothing but loathing for it's characters.

What a fascinating book and fantastic journey

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This book is so beautiful and awful and completely absorbing I finished it awhile back and it……they have stayed with me

Wonderful wonderful listen

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Having read Half Blood Blues, I was prepared for another extraordinary novel from a writer whose power to evoke the past seems effortless. I was drawn to this new book especially because I live in Barbados and the first part is set on a plantation there. But I also wanted to see what she would do with the theme of slavery, one which is so hard to do justice to without invoking stereotypes and easy guilt. In fact, the first section of the novel doesn't stint on horror, but the narrative doesn't lean on this. It quickly becomes a personal story, told entirely from the point of view of the protagonist, Washington, an enchanting child when we first meet him, disoriented by the inexplicable kindness of Titch, his master's brother, visiting from England, who takes him on as an assistant in his scientific experiments. It is, therefore, the story of an anomaly - a slave who is singled out and given the chance to develop his innate intelligence and talent, and ultimately to become a visionary scientist himself. This sounds romantic but it isn't: the role of science in the nineteenth century is shown to be one of liberation for many different kinds of people - from a disaffected younger brother, to an unconventional young woman, to Washington himself. innovations that we take for granted - like flight, or photography - were farfetched dreams in the 1830s, and the people who dreamed them viewed as eccentric or mad. Washington's relationship with Titch, the spine of the novel, goes through stages from hero-worship to betrayal to loss and anger, reaching, eventually, a plane of understanding and acceptance. It's the great achievement of this novel that ultimately it's about an individual's journey to self-knowledge and the understanding that he is not, as he thought, the centre of the universe, however urgent his own concerns might be. The relationship of Titch and Washington, strange and unconventional though it is, is thus revealed to be at heart a father-son relationship, one that all sons, and all fathers, must negotiate in their own way. The writing is always wonderful, and at times transcendent. A thrilling read.

A story of mental emancipation.

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I loved this story - the characters, the writing, the narrator - everything about it was just perfect. And what an incredible narrator, I'll be looking out for more of his work.

Fantastic

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