Have you ever started reading a book and once you've finally gotten to that point where you're really into it you know you're in for something deep? That's how I felt shortly after I started reading Edward P. Jones' "The Known World." I'm not even halfway done and I'm already really drawn into the story. In a nutshell, "The Known World" is the story of a former slave in Virginia who now owns slaves of his own. Although this sounds quite absurd former slaves owning slaves was somewhat the norm in the South prior to the conclusion of the Civil War. It really amazes me that one can go through slavery and somehow buy themselves out of slavery only to purchase slaves of their own.
"The Known World" has won numerous awards including the much distinguished Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. For those of you interested in reading "The Known World" here's a brief synopsis of the book.
"In one of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, Edward P. Jones, two-time National Book Award finalist, tells the story of Henry Townsend, a black farmer and former slave who falls under the tutelage of William Robbins, the most powerful man in Manchester County, Virginia. Making certain he never circumvents the law, Townsend runs his affairs with unusual discipline. But when death takes him unexpectedly, his widow, Caldonia, can't uphold the estate's order and chaos ensues. In a daring and ambitious novel, Jones has woven a footnote of history into an epic that takes an unflinching look at slavery in all of its moral complexities."
To purchase "The Known World" visit Barnes and Nobles' site.