Alpha Book Club

We are kicking off the '24-'25 Alpha Book Club season with the 2024 novel James by Percival Everett! This intricately plotted work of historical fiction will be sure to spark a great conversation! All are welcome to join and registration is not required. You may obtain a print copy through our catalog system here or as an eBook or eAudiobook here. If you have any questions or experience difficulty obtaining a copy, please contact Karrah Kuykendall at the number or email listed below.

James by Percival Everett

When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond. While many narrative set pieces of Twain's original novel remain in place, Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light.