African American Book Club Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Literature

The Known World

Name: The Known World
Rating: 3.84 (44954 reviews)
Author: Edward P. Jones

Edward P. Jones September 1, 2003

3.84 45k Ratings

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Synopsis

One of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, The Known World is a daring and ambitious work by Pulitzer Prize winner Edward P. Jones.

The Known World 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. Jones has woven a footnote of history into an epic that takes an unflinching look at slavery in all its moral complexities.

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