James by Percival Everett won the National Book Award and was a finalist for both the Booker and Pulitzer prizes.
The novel is a retelling of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but this time the story is told by Huck’s companion, Jim or James. James is an enslaved man who flees when he learns that he is at risk of being sold. Expert readers Rachelle Chase, Faye Dant and Jocelyn Chadwick discuss their reading experiences for this episode of the Talk of Iowa book club.
Please be advised: a portion of this show references racist language used in the book.
This episode was originally produced on Feb. 11, 2025.
Guests:
- Rachelle Chase, author and host of Reading with Rachelle
- Faye Dant, founding executive director, Jim's Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center
- Jocelyn Chadwick, educator, author of The Jim Dilemma: Reading Race in Huckleberry Finn
