
James (pulitzer Prize Winner)
A Novel
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group · Print & ebook · April 21, 2026
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view • In development as a feature film to be produced by Steven Spielberg KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST • SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • A Best Book of the Year: The New York Times Book Review, LA Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Economist, TIME, and more.
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- Who it’s for
- Readers interested in reimagined American classics from new perspectives
- Themes
- slavery, freedom journey, racial identity
- Pacing
- Mixed
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PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view • In development as a feature film to be produced by Steven Spielberg KIRKUS PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST • SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • A Best Book of the Year: The New York Times Book Review, LA Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Economist, TIME, and more.
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"Genius"—The Atlantic • "A masterpiece that will help redefine one of the classics of American literature, while also being a major achievement on its own."—Chicago Tribune • "A provocative, enlightening literary work of art."—The Boston Globe • "Everett’s most thrilling novel, but also his most soulful."—The New York Times When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond. Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim’s agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature.
Who it’s for
- Readers interested in reimagined American classics from new perspectives
- Fans of historical fiction focusing on slavery and the Civil War era
Where it sits
| Black Historical Fiction | 93% |
|---|---|
| Historical Fiction | 51% |
| Literary Fiction | 50% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Historical Fiction
- Literary Fiction
- Satire
- Authors
- Percival Everett
- Publisher
- Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
- Published
- April 21, 2026
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- slavery · freedom journey · racial identity
- Reading lane
- Historical Fiction