From the home of literature, the DUBLIN Literary Award is proudly sponsored by Dublin City Council & administered by Dublin City Libraries
DUBLIN Literary Award
DUBLIN Literary Award
           
Facebook Twitter Pinterest linkedin Telegram
DUBLIN Literary Award
  • Home
  • The Books
  • The Judges
  • The Libraries
  • FAQs
  • The Archive
  • News
Menu
DUBLIN Literary Award
Sold out
HomeBooks2021 The Nickel Boys
Previous product
The Eighth Life (for Brilka)
Back to products
Next product
The Other Name: Septology I-II

The Nickel Boys

Author: Colson Whitehead

2021 Longlist

Author of The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in 1960s Florida. Elwood Curtis has taken the words of Dr Martin Luther King to heart: he is as good as anyone. Abandoned by his parents, brought up by his loving, strict and clear-sighted grandmother, Elwood is about to enrol in the local black college. But given the time and the place, one innocent mistake is enough to destroy his future, and so Elwood arrives at The Nickel Academy, which claims to provide ‘physical, intellectual and moral training’ which will equip its inmates to become ‘honorable and honest men’. In reality, the Nickel Academy is a chamber of horrors, where physical, emotional and sexual abuse is rife, where corrupt officials and tradesmen do a brisk trade in supplies intended for the school, and where any boy who resists is likely to disappear ‘out back’. Stunned to find himself in this vicious environment, Elwood tries to hold on to Dr King’s ringing assertion, ‘Throw us in jail, and we will still love you.’ But Elwood’s fellow inmate and new friend Turner thinks Elwood is naive and worse; the world is crooked, and the only way to survive is to emulate the cruelty and cynicism of their oppressors .The tension between Elwood’s idealism and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision which will have decades-long repercussions. Based on the history of a real reform school in Florida that operated for one hundred and eleven years and warped and destroyed the lives of thousands of children, The Nickel Boys is a devastating, driven narrative by a great American novelist whose work is essential to understanding the current reality of the United States.

About the Author

Colson Whitehead is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Underground Railroad, The Noble Hustle, Zone One, Sag Harbor, The Intuitionist, John Henry Days, Apex Hides the Hurt, and one collection of essays, The Colossus of New York.  A Pulitzer Prize winner and a recipient of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, he lives in New York City.

Librarian’s Comments

This novel tells the story of two boys in a reform school in Florida in the 1960s. Their story helps the reader to understand the current tensions in the United States. Bibliotheek Gent, Belgium

There’s no denying the power of this novel, a fictional account of the racist and sadistic practices of a notorious reform school in America’s deep south. With his use of multiple characters and flashbacks, Colson Whitehead captures both the shocking events and the lingering aftermath for those who survived. A comprehensive look at a little-known history. Cleveland Public Library, USA

The Nickel Boys is a compelling backdrop to the destructive power and persistence of racism in the United States. It is often gut-wrenching to read and heartbreaking to contemplate. But it is also inspiring–a testament to human endurance, friendship and resilience. New Hampshire State Library, USA

  • Additional information
  • Libraries Ireland - Find This Book
Additional information
Author

Colson Whitehead

Nominating Library

Cleveland Public Library, USA, New Hampshire State Library, USA, Openbare Bibliotheek Gent, Belgium

Publisher

Brown Book Group, Little

Libraries Ireland - Find This Book

Libraries Ireland Encore System

Search for this book in the Dublin City Library Encore system and arrange a suitable location for loaning it.

Search Encore for The Nickel Boys

This search result is offered as a helping hand to find books in the Library Ireland Encore System. Some results may not be accurate where book titles have common words with similar titles. 

Category: 2021
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest linkedin Telegram
ABOUT DUBLIN CITY LIBRARY & ARCHIVE

Dublin City Libraries, a service of Dublin City Council, is Ireland’s largest library service, with responsibility for the delivery of high quality, effective public library, information and archive services to a resident population of over half a million people.

Designated as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2010, Dublin City Libraries aims to maximise opportunity for all – individuals and communities – through guided access to ideas, learning, literature, information and heritage resources supported by cultural programming.

Cookie Information

This website uses Cookies. Continued use of the site will be deemed as your acceptance of this necessity.

Connect with us
           
Quick Links
  • Home
  • The Books
  • The Judges
  • The Libraries
  • FAQs
  • The Archive
  • News
DUBLIN Literary Award. Dublin City Library & Archive. 138 - 144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. Ireland. Email: literaryaward@dublincity.ie. Tel +353 1 6744802. Copyright © 2019 Dublin City Libraries.
Website by JET Design
close
Start typing to see products you are looking for.
  • Home
  • The Judges
  • The Books
  • The Libraries
  • FAQs
  • The Archive
  • News
Scroll To Top