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A review by katiegilley
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
5.0
“Elwood never ceased to marvel how you could walk around and get used to seeing only a fraction of the world. Not knowing you only saw a sliver of the real thing.”
This novel, mostly set in the 60s, is about a reformatory school in Florida and young boy named Elwood. Elwood, exceptionally bright and passionate, hitches a ride to his first college class. As his ride is pulled over by the police, he quickly realizes that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite his grandmother’s desperate search for help, Elwood is sentenced to The Nickel Academy. Elwood quickly learns how he must act in order to survive his fellow “students” and “teachers.” These young men carried their lessons for survival throughout their entire lives.
I am grateful Whitehead didn’t go into extreme detail when describing the horror these children endured, but he gave us just enough information for us to fill in the blanks. When we discuss systemic racism and debate reparations, this (and The Underground Railroad) should be required reading.
This novel, mostly set in the 60s, is about a reformatory school in Florida and young boy named Elwood. Elwood, exceptionally bright and passionate, hitches a ride to his first college class. As his ride is pulled over by the police, he quickly realizes that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite his grandmother’s desperate search for help, Elwood is sentenced to The Nickel Academy. Elwood quickly learns how he must act in order to survive his fellow “students” and “teachers.” These young men carried their lessons for survival throughout their entire lives.
I am grateful Whitehead didn’t go into extreme detail when describing the horror these children endured, but he gave us just enough information for us to fill in the blanks. When we discuss systemic racism and debate reparations, this (and The Underground Railroad) should be required reading.