John Henry Days
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John Henry Days is a 2001 Pulitzer Prize shortlisted novel [1] by African American author Colson Whitehead.
John Henry Days is a portrait of America. Through a patchwork of interweaving histories, Whitehead reveals how a nation creates its present through the stories it tells of its past.
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[edit] Publication Details
- Written by Colson Whitehead
- First published: Fourth Estate, Great Britain, 2001
[edit] Plot Summary
Building the railways that made America, John Henry died with a hammer in his hand moments after competing against a steam drill in a battle of endurance. The story of his death made him a legend. Over a century later, J. Sutter, a freelance journalist and accomplished expense account abuser, is sent to West Virginia to cover the launch of a new postage stamp at the first 'John Henry Days' festival.
[edit] Awards & nominations
- Shortlisted for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
- Winner of Causcus 2001 Prize
- Short listed for National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award
- Short Listed for LA Times Book Prize
- New York Times Editor's Choice 2001
- Salon Books of the Year
- Los Angeles Times Best of 2001
- Newsweek, The Best Fiction of 2001
- USA Today, Best Books of 2001
- The Village Voice, the Lit Parade, 2001
- Time Out (UK) Books of the Year
[edit] References
- ^ Shortlisted for the 2002 Pultizer Prize for Fiction http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2002/fiction/
