paperbackportals's Reviews (698)

The story of Washington (Wash) Black takes place in the 1830s and is a coming of age story. Wash, at the age of 11, is taken as an assistant to the brother to his owner. This begins Wash’s adventures across the world to escape his past, to escape false accusations, and to discover new and fantastic areas of scientific exploration. This book is a captivating retelling of Wash’s life from age 11 to 20. He experiences so many wonders and prejudices and attempts to discover who he is in the midst of others placing their own description upon him. A great read if you like historical fiction, especially if you enjoyed The Book of Negroes. #indigoemployee

Okay, not going to lie, this was a tough read at first. I think probably because as ridiculous as the situation and the characters were, the real bits mixed in with the chaos were difficult to process. Perhaps I could relate too much to the anxiety and the isolation? However, I pressed on and it was worth it. Backman wrapped it all up in a truly beautiful way. I’ll have to check out more of his books.