The Nickel Boys: A Novel
In this Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times bestselling follow-up to The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatizes another strand of American history through the story of two boys unjustly sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
This book takes place in Florida during the Jimmy Crow era, and is based on the Dozier School for Boys in Florida. Segregation, racism, abuse, and friendship are heavily shown throughout the novel.
I have never been a historical fiction type of girl, but this book kept me engaged from start to finish! Elwood is a kind and intelligent young man who works hard, makes straight A’s, and somehow manages to never fit in with the crowd. But the the pe...read more
The Writer Colson Whitehead was inspired by the archaeologist found at the Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida in the summer of 2014 to write the novel, The Nickel Boys, which was published in 2019 (Whitehead 211). Whitehead also read survivors’ accounts of life at the Dozier School for Boys to research writing his novel (Whitehead 211). I read the book on my Kindle. I thought the book was well done. In the short novel, Whitehead captures...read more
Beautifully written, harrowing story of racial persecution set in a boys reformatory school in Florida, circa 1950’s.
A heartbreaking, highly recommended read.
Smooth read. Exposes Dozier Reform School from inmates perspective in the backdrop of MLK and Jim Crow.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.