Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: Harper Audio 
Release Date:  August 2003
ISBN: 0-06-056943-3 
Awards:  
Format Reviewed: Audio Cassette 
Buy it at Amazon
Read an Excerpt
Genre: Literary Fiction 
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer:  Jo Rogers

Reviewer Notes: Violence, Language, Sexual Situations - AA  interests

Today Show Book Club # 17

The Known World
By Edward P. Jones

     The Known World is a story of slaves and slavery before the Civil War. It begins with the death of Henry Townsend, a black plantation owner who was also a slave owner. He had been a slave himself until his father bought his freedom. Augustus Townsend never understood why Henry would buy others of his own color and not set them free.

     Henry had another mentor besides his father. William Robbins was perhaps the most powerful man in Manchester County, Virginia. He had owned Henry and his parents. Augustus made furniture and carved walking sticks to earn money to buy his own freedom. That done, he made payments to Robbins until his wife, Mildred, was purchased and was also free. Next he bought Henry and freed him.

     Henry had learned the cobbler's trade while he was still Robbins' slave. With the money he earned he not only made a good living, he saved money and soon bought his land from Robbins. Then, even before he had a wife, he bought his first slave--a man named Moses. Moses was with him as long as he lived.

     The story jumps back and forth from the past to the present to the future. Though it makes several jumps, there is never a roughness to the story. Mr. Jones doesn't leave any loose ends. He tells what happens to each of the men and women involved in the story. Not all of the characters come to a happy end, though most do.

     The Known World is a long book--fifteen hours of listening--but it is more than worth the time and effort. It is so well written, I would not be surprised if it one day takes its place among the classics with Uncle Tom's Cabin, Gone With the Wind and other books of that caliber.