Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad is not just a historical novel; it is a profound exploration of the American soul. By literalizing the railroad, Whitehead creates a visceral, locomotive journey through the various “states” of American racism. It is a harrowing, brilliant, and ultimately essential read that rightfully earned its place among the author’s top recommendations.
book review
For those not familiar with American history, the term Pioneers is used to describe the explorers who moved westwards in search of land and riches from the heavily populated East. Writers like Willa Cather wrote novels and stories to capture the trials and tribulations of this period of exploration. Most of the westward expansion was by settlers who worked on railways which were being built to connect mining towns. Any pioneer’s town population was often …
For the unfamiliar, Anna Katherine Green is considered the ‘mother’ of mystery novel writing in the US. I stumbled upon A Strange Disappearance when an extensive collection of free ebooks was made available on Book Depository a few years ago. It’s also now free on Kindle. The plot of the mystery novel is relatively straightforward. A young maid has disappeared in odd circumstances from the house of a famous diplomat, Mr. Blake. The only who …