The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad is the harrowing tale of an escaped slave, Cora, and her determined odyssey towards freedom, and was an interesting read, but not quite what I was expecting.

It is written in a beautiful yet matter-of-fact tone that, while not first person, suits Cora's point-of-view, as she is reserved, resilient, and steely. The plain, pragmatic descriptions of the horrors that she endures add some strange distance, but allows the events to stand on their own, harsh and unadorned, for what they are.

There are chapters that focus on some of the supporting characters interspersed throughout the novel, to fill in time jumps in the main narrative. These were appreciated extra touches, with the final one being particularly devastating.