The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

If you are looking to read more books about racism, don’t miss The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. Winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, find a The Nickel Boys summary, book information, and book reviews here.

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead red and white book cover with two Black teenagers walking and talking

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The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Book Information

Author: Colson Whitehead
Genre: Book About Racism | Book Set In Florida | Political Fiction
Pages: 210
Publisher: Anchor
Publication Date: July 2019
Buy On Amazon

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The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead Summary

When Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwood’s only salvation is his friendship with fellow “delinquent” Turner, which deepens despite Turner’s conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble.

As life at the Academy becomes ever more perilous, the tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades.
 
Based on the real story of a reform school that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, driven narrative that showcases a great American novelist writing at the height of his powers.

Anchor

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More About The Author, Colson Whitehead

Colson Whitehead was raised in Manhattan and is a graduate of Harvard College. An award-winning writer, his works appear in the New York Times, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, and Harper’s. Whitehead has taught at numerous colleges and universities across the country, received many prestigious awards and fellowships, and currently lives in NYC. Read more about Colson Whitehead here.

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