The Underground Railroad

Cora is an outcast slave working on a brutal cotton plantation in Georgia who decides to escape via a secret underground network. In this alternate historical reimagining, the Underground Railroad operates as a literal subterranean railroad complete with engineers and tracks. Alongside a fellow slave, she flees north while relentlessly pursued by a dedicated bounty hunter across various American states. Each stop on their journey reveals a distinct and harrowing facet of the American historical landscape.

by Colson Whitehead

First published 2016 · 417 pages