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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Violence of slavery depicted; not graphic but present and meaningful
Language
Barely any
Period language including some racial language in historical context
Sexual Content
Barely any
Brief romantic content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The psychological trauma of enslavement, the nature of memory, and the weight of liberation
What this book is about
Hiram Walker is enslaved in Virginia, gifted with a mysterious power called Conduction that lets him transport people through water and memory. When he is recruited by the Underground Railroad, he must reconcile his gift with his purpose. Coates's debut novel blends magical realism with historical fiction in a meditation on slavery, memory, and liberation.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Slavery and its violence depicted
Historical racial themes
Trauma and memory
Reader Verification
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