When he was young, George Washington Black was a field slave on a sugar plantation in Barbados. He was plucked from that misery (though still officially a slave) by Christopher "Titch" Wilde, a man of science and the brother of Wash's owner, who enlisted Wash to be his assistant. But an unexpected event causes Wash and Titch to flee Barbados to the frozen tundra of Canada, starting Wash on a new life dedicated to scientific observation and illustration. Along his journey, Wash slowly learns to look at the people in his life with the same critical eye that he uses when he draws mollusks and flowers. It's a wonderful journey of discovery, beautifully told. Edugyan shows masterful skill in weaving together the story of an escaped slave and the story of groundbreaking scientific history and invention. This is a great book, and it's no wonder it has received so many accolades. More are sure to come.
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