num_pages: 209
description: It is 1830. Rutherford Calhoun, a newly freed slave and irrepressible rogue, is desperate to escape unscrupulous bill collectors and an impending marriage to a priggish schoolteacher. He jumps aboard the first boat leaving New Orleans, the Republic, a slave ship en route to collect members of a legendary African tribe, the Allmuseri. Thus begins a daring voyage of horror and self-discovery.Peopled with vivid and unforgettable characters, nimble in its interplay of comedy and serious ideas, this dazzling modern classic is a perfect blend of the picaresque tale, historical romance, sea yarn, slave narrative, and philosophical novel.
language: English
title: Middle Passage
titlecomplete: Middle Passage
genres: Classics, Historical, Race, African American, Novels, Africa, School, Historical Fiction, Literature, Fiction
ratings_count: 4991
awards: awardedAt: 631180800000
name: National Book Award
category: Fiction, awardedAt: 631180800000
name: National Book Critics Circle Award
category: Fiction
publisher: Scribner