Historical fiction account of abolitionist James Brown who led the attack on Harper’s Ferry that spurred the start of the Civil War. Told from the view point of “Onion”, a 14 year old boy slave who ends up dressing up as a girl during his years with Brown. The novel was the 2013 winner of the National Book Award for fiction and on many top 10 lists for the year. While I found it a bit lengthy and hard to get through at times, it is very original, well written and a good read.
PJH Rating: ****
Eat On Edgecliff 