James by Percival Everett

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is reimagined and retold in the voice of the slave Jim.

I heard about James, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and National Book Award Winner, from several friends who raved about it.  They did warn me it would be an emotionally challenging read, since the protagonist is Jim, the runaway slave from the classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

My bedside reading stack is so high right now that I dare not add another title to the pile.  But, our road trips seem to never stop, so I downloaded and listened to it while on a twelve hour drive.

James, the name Jim prefers to be called, is a compassionate man who longs to be with his wife.  Though his own dangers are horrific, James understands that Huck has his own losses to contend with, and he tries to protect him whenever he can.

James follows the classic tale of Huck Finn but brings to life the struggles of the slave Jim. When not on the run with Huck, Jim struggles to survive on his own.  He is caught and escapes again, but not until after experiencing the brutality that was a way of life for runaway slaves in the United States.

At times, the audio can be uncomfortable to listen to, because the consequences of a runaway slave being caught are not an easy subject.  But what struck me the most, was Jim’s unwavering kindness towards Huck throughout this novel.  Like a parent, James watches over Huck and makes sure he gets home safely.

Everett gives readers insight into what many stories don’t seem to show: that slaves were human beings with feelings and emotions.  Huck may not think that slave Jim understands much, but we learn through Everett’s prose that James is a far smarter man than he is ever given credit for.

This audio book is almost eight hours long and will surely make you think about the terrors of slavery, rather than the frustration of traffic or endless hours on the road.