Antrim Eclectic Book Club - 'The Underground Railroad'
ANTRIM ECLECTIC BOOK CLUB
Steve Ullman, Coordinator
On Thursday, July 21st between 2:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. at the James A. Tuttle Library, readers are scheduled to examine Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad.
In 2017, Whitehead published this historical novel which earned the Pulitzer Prize for Literature . Whitehead portrays the journey of two enslaved persons trying to escape to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Not the Underground Railroad you learned about in History class . Instead, Whitehead’s fictional railroad operates with railcars, secret routes, and safehouses. In 2019, The Guardian included Underground Railroad on its list of the 100 most important books published in the 21st century.
For additional information please call Steve Ullman at 588-2005 or email him at
Copies of the book will be available at the Tuttle Library. Please join our low-key, informal conversation.
Possible Discussion Questions
1,.As you know “Magic realism is a style of literary fiction and art. It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often dealing with the blurring of the lines between fantasy and reality.” Why do you think the author chose to use the “magical realism “of a literal underground railroad?
2. How does the theme of survival permeate this novel?
3. How realistic is Whitehead’s picture of plantation life for enslaved people?
4. Do you see any present-day events reflected in the novel?