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The Nickel Boys

Now a major motion picture and Oscar nominee for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay

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The Nickel Boys

By: Colson Whitehead
Narrated by: Colson Whitehead, JD Jackson
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About this listen

 'RaMell Ross's transcendentally moving and frightening film' (Guardian, New York Film Festival) now a major motion picture and shortlisted for a Golden Globe.

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020
WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION 2020
Winner of the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction 2020
Time #1 Novel of the Year 2019

Author of The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in 1960s Florida.

Elwood Curtis has taken the words of Dr Martin Luther King to heart: he is as good as anyone. Abandoned by his parents, brought up by his loving, strict and clear-sighted grandmother, Elwood is about to enroll in the local black college. But given the time and the place, one innocent mistake is enough to destroy his future, and so Elwood arrives at The Nickel Academy, which claims to provide 'physical, intellectual and moral training' which will equip its inmates to become 'honorable and honest men'.

In reality, the Nickel Academy is a chamber of horrors, where physical, emotional and sexual abuse is rife, where corrupt officials and tradesmen do a brisk trade in supplies intended for the school, and where any boy who resists is likely to disappear 'out back'. Stunned to find himself in this vicious environment, Elwood tries to hold on to Dr King's ringing assertion, 'Throw us in jail, and we will still love you.' But Elwood's fellow inmate and new friend Turner thinks Elwood is naive and worse; the world is crooked, and the only way to survive is to emulate the cruelty and cynicism of their oppressors.

The tension between Elwood's idealism and Turner's skepticism leads to a decision which will have decades-long repercussions.

Based on the history of a real reform school in Florida that operated for one hundred and eleven years and warped and destroyed the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, driven narrative by a great American novelist whose work is essential to understanding the current reality of the United States.

'If greatness is excellence sustained over time, then without question, Whitehead is one of the greatest of his generation. In fact, figuring his age, acclaim, productivity and consistency, he is one of the greatest American writers alive' Time

'A commanding triumph' Sunday Times

'Every chapter hits its mark' New York Times©2019 Colson Whitehead African American Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Scary Tear-jerking

Critic reviews

From the award-winning author of The Underground Railroad comes another searing novel exploring America's racially troubled past . . . a real page-turner
A commanding triumph . . . brilliant and furious . . . a lean, commanding page turner that provides the richest fictional experience of 2019 so far . . . the prose is so loaded with quicksilver wit, it holds you in its thrall. It is a novel that not only succeeds in character, plot and moral argument but lends grace to lives all too easily shattered . . . The compressed fury of Whitehead's writing is what propels the novel forward - he is one of only a handful of writers who is so brilliant you just want to feed him stories. He has a distinctive voice, at once cynical and compassionate, and his wry observations cut to the quick in ways that make other novelists look prissy or too anxious to please. There is barely a paragraph of The Nickel Boys without some felicitous touch
[Whitehead] has produced yet another modern classic . . . He's also adept at creating characters of unforgettable flesh-and-blood immediacy, with even the swiftest pen portrait conveying the full weight of a lived history. Quietly and purposefully heartbreaking in its portrayal of the lifelong legacy of abuse, it is quite outstanding (Stephanie Cross)
Forceful and tightly wrought . . . Whitehead homes in on the way in which every action fits into a fully orchestrated whole, which is why I would wish everyone, black or white, to read this novel. He demonstrates to superb effect how racism in America has long operated as a codified and sanctioned activity intended to enrich one group at the expense of another
If greatness is excellence sustained over time, then without question, Whitehead is one of the greatest of his generation. In fact, figuring his age, acclaim, productivity and consistency, he is one of the greatest American writers alive
There's hardly a spare word in this book . . . Whitehead has a talent for creating ambiguous, complex scenes that fix in your memory. The Nickel Boys feels like a necessary fictional project, writing the blank or buried pages of US history; and it's done with virtuosity
A furious, compassionate novel whose final sleight of hand will twist deep in your gut (Claire Allfree)
A masterful piece of very human storytelling (Nikesh Shukla)
Colson Whitehead's book is not a polemic, but in presenting the unconscionable history of this particular institution, keeping boys in solitary confinement or even burying them "out the back", he once again builds an allegorical history that resonates in the present (Tim Adams)
Whitehead renders a terrifying world in disarming terms, lovingly guiding his reader to recognize the lasting impact of a cruel era
Searing . . . the story is masterfully told (Duncan White)
if there's a more powerful novel this year, I'd be very surprised
All stars
Most relevant
A gripping story that balances and flows through and against another period of history that highlights man's inhumanity to children. I was left breathless by the calculated racism, cruelty and deliberately planned punishments and abuse. How often has history revealed that when parents and family abandon their children, the state and religious institutions are waiting to prey on them and damage these helpless charges placed in their 'care'. A highly recommended read.

Betrayed by Systems

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While fictional the book brings together stories and investigations of the goings on at some of these boys correctional facilities back in the 40s to the 80s. the corruption and general abuses. this book is well written and very well read by the narrator. well done all the team involved.

Great read

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Another outstanding story from this author. His description of the lives of the main characters is compulsive listening. The complete failure of the Justice system (especially if you're black), the violence and corruption of the white-run detention centres towards blacks, almost defies belief. The narration is spot on and adds depth to the narrative.

Almost unrelenting brutality

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I enjoyed this book and the education into thebdeep south reform schools however not until the end did i realise it was a true to life story with names changed. This made me appreciate even more the struggle of elwood ans turner if i would change one thing it would be tonhave the relevant information stated in the books description about the reform school this is based on. The twist in the book was also a bit predictable but the writing style reminded me alot of john steinbeck really raw and gritty! 4 stars for the story but performed beautifully by Jackson and sounding crisp good book!

High quality audio good story historical focus

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This book will grip your heart and mind from start to finish. The thrill and suspense. I was on edge till the end. Definitely not for the faint hearted. The wickedness that was allowed to perpetuate is difficult to accept or understand. Sadly it still goes on around us and we must remain vigilant and informed. Thank you Colson for your heart and for this beautiful and skillfully written book.

Heart wrenching read

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