The Known World

THE KNOWN WORLD
by Edward Jones

 Awards: Dublin Winner 2005, National Book Critics Circle Winner 2003, Pulitzer Winner 2004

 Nominations: National Book Finalist 2003, NY Times Finalist 2003

 Dates Read: November 4, 2006 & July 1, 2017

 The Known World is a beautiful novel that depicts the horrors of slavery by both black and white owners. Set in Virginia, Henry Townsend is a former slave that becomes a slaveholder himself, along with this wife Caldonia. Jones weaves a rich tapestry of vignettes that describes the family, friends, neighbors and acquaintances that make up this strange world. 

 Toward the end of this novel, there is a poignant scene where a character wishes there were a light of truth in the world, an actual place where people can stand and tell the truth with no retribution. To envision such a place, and to be able to vocalize your soul's truth is powerful. And that truth would be raw and real and not black, nor white but most likely very, very gray. 

 I find I rely too heavily on the word heartbreaking, yet there is no other way to describe this novel. I will never understand the mental contortions necessary to justify slavery and find it so difficult to explain to my son. 

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