Washington Black is the third novel by Canadian author Esi Edugyan. 
The novel was published in 2018 by HarperCollins in Canada and by Knopf Publishers 
internationally.[1] A bildungsroman,[2] the story follows the early life of 
George Washington "Wash" Black, chronicling his escape from slavery and his 
subsequent adventures. The novel won the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize,[3] and was 
shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Rogers Writers' 
Trust Fiction Prize. 

SUMMARY:

George Washington "Wash" Black is born into slavery on the Faith Plantation in Barbados. He is raised by Big Kit, 
another slave, who was born in Dahomey and remembers a life before slavery. When Wash is eleven the owner of the 
plantation dies and the plantation is turned over to his nephew, the extraordinarily cruel Erasmus Wilde. 
Wash's life continues on much as it did before, with back breaking labour in the fields, until he and Big 
Kit are called to serve in the main house. There he meets Wilde's younger brother, Christopher "Titch" Wilde, 
a scientist, who enlists Wash as his manservant. Titch teaches Wash to read and cook and, after noticing he is 
a prodigious artist, allows him to focus on drawing. Titch and Erasmus are later joined by their unpleasant cousin 
Philip. Titch enlists Wash's help in the construction of a hydrogen airship, and as a result of this Wash receives 
serious facial burns in a gas explosion.

Philip eventually reveals to Erasmus and Titch that their father has died, leading Erasmus to hatch a plan to move 
back to England for a few years, leaving Titch in charge. He furthermore refuses to sell Wash to Titch, 
having become aware both of how close they are and of Wash's artistic talents. While arrangements are still 
being made, Phillip leads Wash to the cloud-cutter and then kills himself in front of Wash. When Wash reveals 
what has happened Titch realizes that Erasmus will murder Wash in retaliation for Phillip's death. To save Wash 
the two escape on the cloud-cutter. Due to a sudden storm, they only make it to sea where Titch directs them to 
crash into a merchant ship. There they meet the German captain Bendikt Kinast and his brother, the ships doctor 
Theo Kinast. Though the brothers guess that Wash is a runaway slave, they nevertheless decide to take Titch and 
Wash to Virginia.

In Virginia, Titch learns that his brother has hired a bounty hunter to capture Wash, a Mr. Willard. While there 
they also meet up with a penpal of Titch's named Edward Farrow, who is an abolitionist. While at Farrow's Titch also 
learns that his father may still be alive, prompting him to decide to go to the Arctic to see him. Farrow and Titch 
offer Wash the opportunity to escape to Upper Canada where former slaves are able to live in freedom. Wash declines 
and decides to continue on his travels with Titch, joining him on his trip to the Arctic.

In the Arctic Titch learns that his father is in fact alive, but Wash is surprised that their reunion is so cold, 
and Titch's father is indifferent to his son. Wash urges Titch to tell him that they are on the run from Erasmus, 
but rather than helping him, Mr. Wilde is indifferent to his sons and their quarrel. Devastated by his father, 
Titch decides to leave the Arctic and Wash behind. Though Wash tries to follow him he is unsuccessful, 
and Titch disappears during a snowstorm. Mr. Wilde tries to find him, but after searching for several 
days he comes back empty-handed and dies of a fever. No longer under the protection of either Wilde, 
Wash decides to take Titch's advice and resettles in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. From the ages of thirteen 
to sixteen, Wash lives a life of fear, afraid that the bounty on his head will be collected. 
After spying some jellyfish on the docks, he remembers his interest in illustration and turns to that passion anew.

He meets Tanna, a fellow aspiring illustrator and the daughter of renowned marine biologist G.M. Goff. 
Wash works with Goff and Tanna to collect and illustrate marine specimens, and has the novel idea of creating an 
aquarium. Tanna and Wash eventually fall in love and have sex after Wash is attacked by Mr. Willard. Wash had 
fought off Willard's attack, knifing him through the eye, but had been injured himself.

Getting word that Titch may be alive, Wash follows Tanna and Goff to London, where the three begin work on 
their aquarium. Wash and Tanna look for information into Wash's past life and discover that Big Kit is Wash's 
mother. Wash attends Willard's public hanging for murder at Newgate Prison.

Wash and Tanna eventually track down Titch in Marrakesh, Morocco. In the deserts outside of Marrakesh, 
Wash finds Titch living alone with a young Moroccan boy. Wash confronts Titch about their time 
together and his abandonment of Wash. A desert storm comes down upon the camp and, having received no 
satisfactory answer from Titch, the book ends with Wash beginning to walk off into the swirling sand. 


Last Wednesday the book club had our September meeting at the library.  
Present were Linda Paquette, Sue Rogan, Christine Schnupp, Barbara Colton, 
Zelda O'Neill, Bev Cloutier, Michael Brock and Linda Faith.

I brought fruit tarts. I thought they would make an easy snack to eat without 
the need of cutlery.  But they didn't slip out of the tinfoil very easily and 
so we ended up with sticky fingers, tasty sticky fingers.

We signed a get well card for Patricia who unfortunately broke her leg.

The book was Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, written in 2018 and the winner of 
the Giller Prize.  It follows the life of a young slave boy on a sugar plantation 
in Barbados, from age eleven.  His master's eccentric brother who is an inventor 
and naturalist chooses him to be his manservant. This man is also an abolitionist 
and discovers great potential in the boy.  They escape the plantation and go on a 
series of incredible adventures around the world. But Washington is abandoned in 
Canada's Far North by Titch and must forge his own path in the world. 
The story deals with friendship and betrayal, love and redemption.  
It asks the question, What is true freedom?

Everyone had read the book, and the general feeling was that it was a good book.  
Some loved it and some had a few reservations, and this led to a most interesting 
discussion.  We had a wide ranging discussion about cruelty and forgiveness. 
Also about relationships between individuals and how the expectations may be 
different today than in the 1830's.  Was the lack of emotions common at the time?  
Washington was betrayed by Titch in whom he had trusted. He spent many years trying 
to find Titch again. We spoke about what motivates people, about longing, 
resilience.