The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
The Underground
Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Cora
had never planned on running. But after the beating she received on behave of
Terrance Randall, she knew the time had come. Only weeks had passed since
Ceasar had asked her to go with him. Now she was ready. The train sat on the
tracks underground. She had no idea whose hands had dug these tunnels. Cora
only knew that they needed to get away from Georgia. Ridgeway had hunted Cora’s
mother, Mabel, who ran when Cora was a young girl. He was never able to find
her and Cora was his next big target.
I’m not
sure what I expected when I first picked up this novel. There was so much hype
regarding the story and so much praise lauded on that I was scared I would be
disappointed. Needless to say that within minutes of starting this novel I was
hooked. Whitehead begins this story with one woman’s journey across an ocean to
slavery and it’s endearing and heartbreaking and honest. Cora’s story follows
directly after and within a few pages you become drawn to her character, her
struggle and the struggle of plantation life, the life of a slave. All of these
characters were well developed and felt true. The people Cora interacted with slave,
freedmen, owner, conductor and slave catcher were believable. Whitehead took
readers back in time with his world building. From the bodies lining the trees,
to the sprawling plantation, to the Negro dormitories and train underground you
feel transported. Transported to the days of slavery, to the time of running to
be free, to safety.
Whitehead’s
The Underground Railroad is worth a
read. I really enjoyed Whitehead’s writing style and his ability to weave in
and out of different narratives. There was never a sense of safety or a journey
completed. I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the next life
changing event to happen and I was never disappointed no matter how much it
broke my heart to read it. This was the reality and the tone of the novel
breaming with fear, made me as a reader tense. Even when the story ends you
know that there will be more to the characters, that there will still be fear,
there will always be movement and that may never pass. I’m giving this novel 4
out of 5 stars. It keeps you invested throughout the story. Cora’s struggle
becomes your struggle and the railroad keeps you moving. But the Underground
Railroad overtime becomes more symbolic than anything. It’s a mystery to those
looking for it and it’s a mystery to those who have to ride it to safety.
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