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James

by Percival Everett

A ferociously funny, prizewinning reimagining of an enslaved man's perilous journey toward freedom along the Mississippi in 1861.

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About James

The Mississippi River, 1861. When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a new owner in New Orleans and separated from his wife and daughter forever, he flees to nearby Jackson's Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father who recently returned to town. So begins a dangerous and transcendent journey along the Mississippi River, towards the elusive promise of the free states and beyond. As James and Huck navigate the treacherous waters, each bend in the river holds the promise of both salvation and demise. And together, the unlikely pair embark on the most life-changing odyssey of them all . . .

Reading signals

Spice
None
Darkness
Dark
Pacing
Fast
Content warnings
  • slavery
  • racism
  • racial slurs
  • rape
  • violence
  • murder
  • war
  • fire injury
  • child abuse
  • alcoholism
  • drowning

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