A new series begins Tues., June 11! Join us from 3 to 4 pm for a docent-led tour of our current exhibition followed by a book discussion to gain greater insight into the historical context of the exhibit. Professional moderator Kelle Ruden will lead the book discussions.
Selected as one of the New York Times Best Books of 2018, this novel follows the early life of George Washington “Wash” Black, a field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, chosen at age 11 as the manservant of his master’s brother, who to his surprise, turns out to be a naturalist, explorer, inventor, and abolitionist. Soon Wash is initiated into a world where a flying machine can carry a man across the sky, where even a boy born in chains may embrace a life of dignity and meaning, and where two people, separated by an impossible divide, can begin to see each other as human.
The novel won the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize.
“Perfectly executed . . . Soaring . . . More than a tale of human bondage, it’s also an enthralling meditation on the weight of freedom, wrapped in a rousing adventure story stretching to the ends of the earth.” —The Boston Globe
This program is free to the public, but reservations are recommended. Reserve your space online at www.westporthistory.org or by calling 203-222-1424 ext. 5. Donations are appreciated and can be made on the reservation form.