Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Reading in the time of COVID


The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead dives into the life of two young men that have been sentenced to a reform school. The story intensifies when you add that the young men are African-American and living in the Jim Crow south. Whitehead’s latest installment is based on a real Tallahassee school that used cruel punishment, sexual abuse and other derogatory tactics in order to “reviatlze and reform” young men. The main character uses his understanding of the teachings from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to not just survive, but to live. Whitehead uses his voice to grapple at the readers thoughts as he brings you into the harrowing world of Elwood and Turner. This story isn't for the faint of heart, but it is a true account of America’s history. Fiction. Non-Fiction. Documentary. However you want to describe its genre, just know it is one that will leave you incredibly intrigued.



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