The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
on January 30, 2018
Genres: Fiction / African American & Black / General, Fiction / Historical / General, Fiction / Literary
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads 
Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad is a haunting, imaginative, and unflinching reimagining of American slavery. Though it didn’t fully meet my expectations, I’m still glad I finally read this long-standing title from my TBR—especially as part of a book club discussion, where the weight of its themes could be explored with others.
Set in the early 1800s, the novel follows Cora, an enslaved young woman on a Georgia plantation. Abandoned by her mother and ostracized even among the other enslaved people, Cora is approached by Caesar, a literate slave who invites her to escape with him. What follows is a brutal, surreal journey on the Underground Railroad—a literal railroad in Whitehead’s alternate historical vision, complete with tracks and conductors running beneath the Southern soil.
Each stop on Cora’s journey reveals new and horrifying variations of systemic racism. In South Carolina, Black citizens appear free on the surface but are subjected to forced sterilizations and secret experiments. In another state, white citizens fear being outnumbered and push for extermination. The horrors are many, and the violence—both physical and psychological—is laid bare without apology. The depictions are grounded in real historical truths, and Whitehead pulls no punches in showing the evil and endurance that mark this period.
While the concept of the railroad itself is powerful and original, I found myself wanting more clarity and detail about how it worked. The mechanics of the network, its construction, and the people behind it remained elusive, which left me with more questions than answers. I also struggled with the book’s structure—some sections felt disjointed or split in ways that disrupted the flow of the narrative. At times, I felt distant from the story, even while admiring Whitehead’s stark, lyrical prose and powerful themes.
Despite those reservations, this is a novel that provokes important conversations. Whitehead’s storytelling is purposeful and bold, forcing readers to reckon with the cruelty of America’s past and the legacy it leaves behind.
For me, The Underground Railroad was a solid 3-star read—one I appreciated for its significance and impact, even if it didn’t fully land on an emotional or structural level.
English (US) · 