Washington Black

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, 333 pages.
George Washington Black, born a slave in Barbados on Faith plantation, a horrendously brutal place, in the 1820s, finds himself a pawn in the family drama surrounding the plantation owner, Erasmus Wilde. George Washington Black becomes the personal assistant to Christopher, brother of Erasmus, known as Titch. Now known as Wash, his quick wits, and his ability to learn everything allows him to use his situation to his advantage. One day though, the Wilde family drama takes a turn and a cousin's death imperils Wash. Titch and he flee and they soon find themselves far from Barbados and the plantation, hunted by Erasmus and his lackeys. Wash travels to the Arctic with Titch. After tragedy and hardship, Wash continues his journey, from New England, to London, and onward. His explorations and adventures swirl around news of his past at Faith plantation. He often finds himself in danger, and sometimes near despair, but he continues to seek knowledge and peace.  An exciting and satisfying book. It already looks like it will be on many of this years "best of" lists, deservedly so. The downloadable audio is narrated by the always excellent Dion Graham.