It's also our September Fiction Top Pick. The Underground Railroad: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2017. She takes on slave catchers, murderers, medical torturers, joins more than one interesting group of travelers, and comes upon the many of the atrocities of the time. Here's why... We spend months researching the topic of every TED-Ed episode, and in the process we almost always discover books that explore the video's subject matter to a level of depth that only books can achieve. Hi, we’re the TED-Ed team -- the scrappy group of educators and animators who produce over 140 free, high-quality, educational animations for you every year. Recommended by:Alex Rosenthal, TED-Ed Team. WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2017, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR, SHORTLISTED FOR THE ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD, 'Whitehead is on a roll: the reviews have been sublime' Guardian, 'Luminous, furious, wildly inventive' Observer, 'Hands down one of the best, if not the best, book I've read this year' Stylist. Whitehead uses the train stops to represent the range of struggles for African Americans, enslaved or free, throughout the U.S. during the time. The Nickel Boys: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2020, Colson Whitehead Collection 3 Books Set (The Nickel Boys, The Underground Railroad, The Colossus of New York), The Nickel Boys & The Underground Railroad By Colson Whitehead 2 Books Collection Set, Love and Other Thought Experiments: Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2020, The Whisper Man: The chilling must-read Richard & Judy thriller pick, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World: SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2019, Girl, Woman, Other: WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 2019, The Beekeeper of Aleppo: The Sunday Times Bestseller and Richard & Judy Book Club Pick. Sources Fact or Fiction: The Underground Railroad Books Blight, David W. Passages to Freedom: The Underground Railroad in History and Memory. As a trauma therapist, I understand the impulse to avoid triggers and protect the reader or viewer. This book is an intense exploration of the atrocities of slavery through a blend of historical fact and fiction that borders on magical realism at times. Fleet; First Edition, First Impression (6 Oct. 2016). The courage of Harriet Tubman - Janell Hobson, This book is an intense exploration of the atrocities of slavery through a blend of historical fact and fiction that borders on magical realism at times. Book Review: “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny”, How Washington Irving Awakened Rip Van Winkle, 10 Books That Have Had the Greatest Influence on My Life, 4 African Historical Fiction Novels to Help You Learn About African History. This recommendation certainly didn’t disappoint. But it wasn’t meant to misdirect or soften things for the reader. Unable to add item to List. Something went wrong. In the Fresh Air interview I caught, he said, “I think when you’re a kid and you first hear about it in school or whatever, you imagine a literal subway beneath the earth. All funds return to support Book Shrink. Try again. As Whitehead brilliantly recreates the unique terrors for black people in the pre-Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America, from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The main character seems to find them all. Find out more about the programme. Violent aspects, an important part of much of our history, seem to be implied, or cut away from, to make the story more palatable. We are an affiliate of Bookshop, an alternative to Amazon that supports local bookstores. I found it to be a powerful, moving, and insightful read; it has informed the way I think about the legacy of slavery in America. Every free trial encourages Audible to continue supporting TED-Ed’s nonprofit mission, so if a TED-Ed episode captures your interest, please consider downloading an audio version of the related book through Audible. Whitehead’s apparent reason for making the railroad real is quite sweet. I first read The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead in the summer of 2016. There have been many pieces of fiction and fact based in our dark past that I feel skirt around the edges too much. Colson Whitehead is a guest at Sydney Writers Festival , May 22-28 ( swf.org.au ). That’s why we’ve invested time to partner with publishers and utilize existing affiliate link programs to begin independently recommending books at the end of TED-Ed episodes on a rolling basis. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher sent to find Cora, is close on their heels. Perhaps I’m not the only privileged white woman who’s a sucker for Oprah’s book picks and NPR author interviews. This book is an intense exploration of the atrocities of slavery through a blend of historical fact and fiction that borders on magical realism at times. And what a character she is. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. It was an Oprah’s Book Club pick featured on NPR’s Fresh Air. It was an Oprah’s Book Club pick featured on NPR’s Fresh Air. It’s a joyful experience — digging deep into a topic and understanding the world a little better as a result. Sorry, there was a problem saving your cookie preferences. Colson Whitehead's sixth novel may be his best yet. Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Collins, 2006. But I would wonder if it perpetuates a watered down view of history. Want to download an audio version of this book for free?Visit www.audible.com/ted-ed and start a free trial. To ease her restlessness she crept out to her plot and sat on her maple and smelled the air and listened. This book is a fresh take on a familiar history. Learn more. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Prime members enjoy fast & free shipping, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Prime Video and many more exclusive benefits. I first read The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead in the summer of 2016. The Underground Railroad is at once the story of one woman's ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shatteringly powerful meditation on history. Approved third parties also use these tools in connection with our display of ads. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. It included a real-life underground train system. The Underground Railroad is an example of a neo-slave narrative, a term coined by Ishmael Reed that refers to a work of literature written in the contemporary era that is set during the slavery era and tells the story from the perspective of enslaved characters. Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) is a service Amazon offers sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's warehouses, and Amazon directly does the picking, packing, shipping and customer service on these items. For those who have experienced torture and violence, softening things might actually feel very invalidating.