Washington Black

More about the book

When two English brothers take the helm of a Barbados sugar plantation, Washington Black - an eleven-year-old field slave - finds himself selected as personal servant to one of these men. To his surprise, the eccentric Christopher "Titch" Wilde is a naturalist, explorer, inventor and abolitionist, and he wants Washington to help him create the perfect aerial machine. But Titch's plans are soon shattered, and Washington is plunged into mortal danger. They escape the island and embark on a strange, life-altering journey. And when Titch disappears, Washington must make his way alone, following the promise of freedom further than he ever dreamed possible. From the blistering cane fields of Barbados to the icy wastes of the Canadian Arctic, from the earliest aquariums of London to the eerie deserts of Morocco, Washington Black teems with all the strangeness and mystery of life. This is the extraordinary tale of a world destroyed and the search to make it whole again.