Canada Reads 2022 — Washington Black
It’s been a slow start form with Canada Reads 2022 due to some personal things but I’m finally getting started with the Shortlist, before I look to the longlist of titles. The shortlist is:
- Five Little Indians by Michelle Good
- Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez
- What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad
- Life In the City of Dirty Water by Clayton Thomas-Müller
- Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
I started with Washington Black and finished reading Ms Edugyan’s work which left me spellbound, often turning pages late into the night long after I should have gone to sleep.
Washington Black follows the story of Barbados plantation slave George Washington Black (commonly called Wash). His name was given by his first master, who liked to name slaves after famous or important people as mention is made of others like Descartes on the plantation, while Black was the owner’s last name. What appears to be a tale of the end of British slavery and plantation, quickly swerves as author Esi Edugyan has a different tale in mind.
Wash’s life takes a left turn when Christopher “Titch” Wilde arrives on the plantation. The brother of his current owner, Titch takes the young lad as his manservant and assistant, making him into a Cause as well as he is an abolitionist. Titch is shocked at Wash’s artistic talent, and facile mind as the youngster proves an able assistant with drawing, as well as quickly learning math, and becoming literate. Beyond being an abolitionist, Titch is also an inventor, scientist, and naturalist who is able to educate his young student and drafts him to work on his flying machine. In fact, at this point the novel begins to feel more like a 19th century adventure novel at many points, taking cues from books like Around the World in 80 Days.
In fact, that’s an apt comparison as not too long later, Wash and Titch are forced to flee the plantation, and thus begins a trip that will take them to many places in both the old, and new world. From the lands of America, to Canada, and the Arctic, to England and beyond Wash’s journey goes many places both with and without Titch that he would never have anticipated.
At the core of the novel though is the protagonist who’s eyes you’re seeing the world through — the titular George Washington Black. Wash is quick, sensitive often to social situations at least in retrospective, and has an adept mind able to work in a number of areas throughout the story. The book shows the bonds we make, both positively and negatively throughout life, and whether we realize them or not. It shows how those bonds can push us to make acts that seem inexplicable sometimes, even to those we love. The harm we do to others, sometimes without meaning or through thoughtlessness is another theme at times in the book.
This is the note that the book wants to leave you reflecting on. How we interact, how we connect to people, and the world around us. While there are other aspects, there’s enough of an opening that one could see a whole other book of Wash’s future exploits, it would seemingly be missing the point to focus on accomplishment, tasks, or other things there.
A gripping, emotional adventure story that is well worth your time, Washington Black is available now. There is also a Disney+ adaptation in the works, which promises to be quite interesting. The next book I’m reading in the list is Scarborough.
