The basic premise of this novel is that the underground railroad was just that a real physical underground railroad. The underground railroad, published in 2016, is the sixth novel by american author colson. It delves into literary aspects and is well written. Privacy policy about wikipedia disclaimers contact wikipedia. It is an excellent book though once you get passed the fictionalized ways whitehead changes history. The underground railroad pulitzer prize winner national. Aug 02, 2016 oprahs book club has tapped colson whiteheads the underground railroad as its newest selection. This gives the book a bit of dystopian feel, although this is an antebellum tale, with time appropriate technology. Reading guide for the underground railroad by colson whitehead. Looking for the underground railroad book club questions and a reading guide for your next meeting.
New novel takes the underground railroad beyond the. Does the underground railroad change the way you look at the history of america, especially in the time of slavery and abolitionism. Enjoy a lively discussion of each months book selection. Set preferences and get ageappropriate recommendations with common sense media plus. Critics have also noted the books scathing commentary on the effects of slavery that still echo in america today. In due course, cora makes a run for it, together with a fellow slave. Aug 02, 2016 download an excerpt of the book, and print a copy of oprahs the underground railroad reading guide and book club questions. The underground railroad, by contrast, was personal. How did this aspect of magical realism impact your concept of how the real underground railroad worked. Wondering if the underground railroad is ok for your kid. Underground railroad the new oprahs book club book is. About this guide the questions, discussion topics, and suggestions for further reading that follow are designed to enhance your groups. Download an excerpt of the book, and print a copy of oprahs the underground railroad reading guide and book club questions. Classroom the underground railroad connections teacher resources.
Today is the day for our second book club discussion. Aug 18, 2016 the underground railroad represents a first in the nearly decadelong career i have enjoyed as a contributor to bookreporter. Best scifi and fantasy books for book clubs read it forward. The underground railroad by colson whitehead goodreads. Beneath a scarlet sky by mark sullivan peanut blossom. Whitehead is using the story of coras escape to get at the multitude of ways that blacks, in particular, have been dehumanized and mistreated by whites throughout the history of this country. The underground railroad, the latest selection of oprah winfreys book club, chronicles the life of a teenage slave named cora, who flees the georgia plantation where she was born, risking. The underground railroad is an american masterpiece, as much a searing document of a cruel history as a uniquely brilliant work of fiction. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for cora. How does the depiction of slavery in the underground.
Related recordings library happy hour at the good will social club april 2018 october 2018. The underground railroad book and lyrics by douglas jones music by ron barnett our drama with music begins as harriets friend sarah bradford, author of scenes in the life of harriet tubman, is persuading a publisher to print her book. The nickel boys is a novel filled with all sorts of literary goodness, so to help guide you in your discussion, here are a few key themes you may want to consider first, trauma is a major theme in the nickel boys. Cora and caesars first stop is south carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. The perilous lure of the underground railroad the new yorker. About this book cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in georgia. This teaching guide supports the underground railroad. In colson whiteheads latest, the underground railroad is. The treasure, of course, was the underground railroad some might call freedom the dearest currency of all. The underground railroad, published in 2016, is the sixth novel by american author colson whitehead the alternate history novel tells the story of cora and caesar, two slaves in the southeastern united states during the 19th century, who make a bid for freedom from their georgia plantations by following the underground railroad, which the novel depicts as primarily a rail transport system in.
The underground railroad recipe ideas for book clubs. Please put your comments for the underground railroad book club discussion questions in the comment area below. Just before his 2016 national book award nomination, we sat down with colson whitehead to discuss his devastating novel and oprah book club pick the underground railroad. Aug 06, 2016 nprs scott simon speaks with colson whitehead about his new book, the underground railroad, in which slaves ride a a real railroad through time to see racism in different eras. Colson whiteheads underground railroad wins pulitzer cbs. Cora constructs elaborate daydreams about her life as a free woman and dedicates herself to reading and expanding her education. To ask other readers questions about the underground railroad, please sign. The more i poked around looking for the next big thing, beneath a scarlet sky by mark sullivan kept popping up again and again. The underground railroad by colson whitehead book club. Jan 30, 2018 in whiteheads ingenious conception, the underground railroad is no mere metaphor engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the southern soil. Students will travel back to the year 1860 and follow a young. The underground railroad pulitzer prize winner by colson. The underground railroad study guide contains a biography of colson whitehead, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full.
By the way, the underground railroad, in the underground railroad, is not a metaphor. Whiteheads sixth novel, the story of a teenage slaves bid for freedom in 1850s georgia, is out. It goes beyond a mere summary in 65 pages i found what i wanted and more. The underground railroad is a pulitzer prize winning novel and new york times best seller. The underground railroad represents a first in the nearly decadelong career i have enjoyed as a contributor to bookreporter. It tells the gripping story of a female slave on a heroic quest to escape captivity. Book discussions evansville vanderburgh public library. This abridged edition of the underground railroad brings to light the terrors experienced by the thousands of africanamericans who sought a better life in then orthern states of america and in canada. When caesar, a recent arrival from virginia, tells her about the underground railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape.
Michiko kakutani of the new york times writes that the underground railroad explores the toxic legacy of slavery, identifiable in contemporary policies such as stopandfrisk and the pervasiveness of police. Fletcher drives them in his cart, covered by a blanket, to the home of the station agent, lumbly. I began reading with high expectations colson whiteheads novel was not only recommended by oprah a book club selection and obama, it had won the national book award. Mondays announcement confirmed the book as the literary event of 2016, an oprah winfrey book club pick and critical favorite.
Before we get to the book club questions, lets talk about some prominent themes in the underground railroad. My current book club group is much more casual, but perhaps too much so. Do you feel that you now have a better understanding of what slavery was like. Colson whiteheads the underground railroad in his ambitious new novel, now an oprah book club pick, the author takes on the topic of slaveryand its tangled legacy. Oprahs book club announcement video the underground railroad. Coras grandmother, ajarry, is stolen from africa and passes on her desire to survive to coras mother, mabel. North and south carolina didnt have the political structure described in the book. Colson whiteheads the underground railroad is the newest oprahs book club selection. Topic name the underground railroad by colson whitehead.
Aug 04, 2016 that book, called simply the underground railroad, follows a 15yearold slave named cora as she escapes north via a literal network of underground tracks and trains. Feb 22, 2017 today is the day for our second book club discussion. I read it again this month in preparation for a book discussion with the author we. This book helped me better understand the use of fact and fiction in the underground railroad by colson whitehead. I think he could have made an excellent book without changing the underground railroad to be a real tangible railroad, and also without creating.
The author talks about racism, writing and barry jenkins directing the television series based on his novel. Book club leaders who tend towards historical or literary fiction can be really wary of speculative titles, but if youre able to suggest titles for your local book club, there are a lot of great speculative titles you can ease in that make great book club discussions while not necessarily making your notsosffsavvy book club friends balk. In one of my past book clubs, we literally only read books that included discussion questions at the end of the book because we wanted to be certain wed have a meaningful discussion. The book picked for this month was the underground railroad by colson whitehead.
Here are the best picks for your book club s next read. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of anchor books. The book emphasizes how slaves were treated as property and reduced to objects. The underground railroad book club discussion gbcn. The underground railroad by william still, paperback barnes. In plain, but also irresistible and affecting language, he presents the life story of his heroine, cora, starting first with the history of her grandmother, kidnapped from africa and finally ending up, after much circumlocution which is to say, being sold and resold, on a. How does the depiction of slavery in the underground railroad compare to other depictions in literature and film. Dive into the latest pick for oprahs book club with these questions about colson whiteheads breathtaking novel. My latest book, the underground railroad, is an oprahs book club pick. In a surprise announcement tuesday morning, winfrey chose the underground railroad as the next title for oprahs book club. Our book club page for the underground railroad by colson whitehead includes book club discussion questions, author website, book. The underground railroad colson whitehead, 2016 knopf doubleday 320 pp. It also won the national book award, the andrew carnegie medal for excellence, and was longlisted for the man booker prize.
The trauma both elwood and turner experience, not only during their time at nickel but that experienced before the reform school, greatly influences both. The underground railroad book club discussion questions. Faqs about us privacy policy terms of use disclaimer. Tours at carnegie library of pittsburgh main oakland research. Slave narratives described the horrors of plantation life and the rigors of the journey north to.
Underground railroad the new oprahs book club book is an important american novel by anthony domestico globe correspondent, august 4, 2016. Join us for a community book club discussion on colson whiteheads the underground railroad. We see that freedom is a perspective that changes with the person and the time. Some book guides disappoint, but this one was better than i expected. The previous book to win both the pulitzer and the national book prizes was the. Escape from slavery online activity presents an accurate and personal view of the brutal practice of slavery, a concept that may be difficult for young students. The scenes on randall s plantation are horrifichow did the writing affect you as a reader. Whitehead is more this is a work of fiction, not historical fiction. Order your copy of the underground railroad online or pick it up at your local bookstore or library. Fletcher, caesars contact with the underground railroad. The underground railroad we the people book club 4. Why do you think the author chose to portray a literal railroad.
Live our origin story why a library podcast book club at the manitoba libraries conference. Discuss the underground railroad by colson whitehead. I think theres no better book for a time such as this, oprah said on cbs this morning the novels of. Colson whitehead on slavery, success and writing the novel. Oprahs newest book club pick is tense, graphic, uplifting and informed this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Colson whiteheads the underground railroad has been a runaway success. Book club underground railroad osceola library system.
I think he could have made an excellent book without changing the underground railroad to be a real tangible railroad, and also without creating the politicalsocietal setup of north and south carolina. This is a thorough, near exhaustive explication, of the underground railroad. Aug 02, 2016 colson whiteheads the underground railroad is the newest oprahs book club selection. The long opening segment of colson whiteheads the underground railroad is carefully, almost studiously naturalistic. Discuss the underground railroad by colson whitehead in an online book club. Why do you think cora changed her mind and decided to leave with caesar right after that. Colson whitehead on the underground railroad, the book that. Oprah picks the underground railroad for book club. Jan 23, 2017 discuss the underground railroad by colson whitehead in an online book club. Michael schaub, npr far and away the most anticipated literary novel of the year, the underground railroad marks a new triumph for whiteheada book that resonates with deep emotional timbre. About this guide the questions, discussion topics, and suggestions for further reading that follow are designed to enhance your groups discussion of the underground railroad, a triumph of a. But first, whats this book about and why should we read it.
Oct 09, 2016 the first 70 pages of the underground railroad are beautifully written and painful to read, but there is a sense of having been here before. Aug 14, 2016 the underground railroad is not, in whiteheads novel, the secret network of passageways and safe houses used by runaway slaves to reach the free north from their slaveholding states. The nickel boys book club questions and reading guide. In this muchanticipated followup to the awardwinning bestseller the underground railroad, elwood curtis is about to enroll in. A conductor for the railroad, still was the son of a fugitive slave himself and a campaigner for social reform. Watch the video above to see why the book kept her up at night, and why she wants you to read it too. Colson whitehead, author of the underground railroad time. The underground railroad teaching guide scholastic. The questions, discussion topics, and suggestions for further reading that follow are designed to enhance your groups discussion of the underground railroad, a triumph of a novel by colson whitehead. Apr 10, 2017 colson whiteheads underground railroad wins pulitzer.
Teens can be encouraged to research the book s issues online. One of the most obvious themes is that of survival. Dec 30, 2017 i try to kickstart each new year with a blockbuster book that will draw in new club members and entice them to join us in our quest to rediscover our love of reading. An outcast even among her fellow africans, she is coming into womanhood where even greater pain awaits.
Beneath lumblys house, they find a tunnel with a railroad track, and a. As the story unfolds we learn of harriets early years in slavery, her escape to freedom. The underground railroad, by colson whiteheadafter cora, a slave in precivil war georgia, escapes with another slave, caesar, they seek the help of the underground railroad as they flee from state to state and try to evade a slave catcher, ridgeway, who is determined to return them to the south. Underground railroad national book award winner oprahs book club. Oprah says about the underground railroad by colson whitehead, an oprahs book club selection. What role do you think stories play for cora and other travelers using the underground railroad. Study flashcards on 75 history questions on the underground railroad at.
In whiteheads ingenious conception, the underground railroad is no mere metaphor engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the southern soil. Aug 02, 2016 in a surprise announcement tuesday morning, winfrey chose the underground railroad as the next title for oprahs book club. This book has kept me up at night, had my heart in my throat, almost afraid to turn the next page. Colson whiteheads spectacular new novel,the underground railroad, is inspired by reallife eventsbut its a feat of imagination.
979 711 780 938 1051 1186 871 1440 27 132 709 1498 1561 163 612 420 1458 1064 726 26 1503 574 892 1115 762 1250 1163 949 952 567 490 569