James: The Powerful Reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the Booker Prize-Shortlisted Author of The Trees Everett Percival (2024)

Percival Everetts James is an enthralling and ferociously funny reimagining of Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, told from the perspective of the enslaved Jim. The Mississippi River, 1861: after Jim learns that he is about to be sold to a new owner in New Orleans and separated from his wife and daughter, he hides on nearby Jacksons Island while he forms a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn fakes his own death to escape his violent father. Their dangerous and transcendent journey by raft follows the Mississippi towards the elusive promise of the free states and beyond, with every bend in the river bringing the possibility of salvation or demise. As rumours of war spread, Jim must face the family he is desperate to protect and the constant lie he is forced to live. Emerging from the shadows of Huck Finns mischievous spirit, Jim reclaims his voice and defies the conventions that have kept him on the margins.