James by Percival Everett

Pulitzer Prize Winner * #1 New York Times Bestseller * National Book Award Winner * Booker Prize Shortlist

When Jim overhears he’s about to be sold to New Orleans—separated from his wife and daughter forever—he makes a choice that will change everything. What follows is a dangerous journey down the Mississippi River, one you think you know from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. But this time, the story belongs to Jim.

Percival Everett’s James is a brilliant reimagining that centers the voice, intelligence, and humanity of the man history tried to silence. With electrifying humor and devastating insight, Everett illuminates Jim’s agency and compassion in ways that feel both revelatory and long overdue. This is American literature reimagined—harrowing, darkly funny, and deeply moving.

The accolades speak volumes: Kirkus Prize Winner, National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, and named one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year. The Atlantic calls it “genius.” The Chicago Tribune declares it “a masterpiece that will help redefine one of the classics of American literature.”

Now in development as a feature film produced by Steven Spielberg, James is destined to be a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature. Whether you’re discovering it for the first time or adding it to your collection, this is a book that demands to be read, discussed, and remembered.

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