“The whites came to this land for a fresh start and to escape the tyranny of their masters, just as the freemen had fled theirs. But the ideals they held up for themselves, they denied others.”
Chapter 1: Ajarry
The novel opens with the story of Ajarry, Cora’s grandmother, who was kidnapped from her African village and sold into slavery in America. After enduring multiple owners and failed escape attempts, she ends up on the Randall plantation in Georgia, where she gives birth to Cora’s mother, Mabel.
Chapter 2: Georgia
Cora, now a young woman, lives on the same plantation. After her mother Mabel mysteriously disappears—rumored to have escaped—Cora is left alone. Caesar, a fellow slave, convinces her to flee with him via the Underground Railroad, which in this novel is reimagined as an actual subterranean railway.
Chapter 3: Ridgeway
Ridgeway, a relentless slave catcher, is introduced. He failed to capture Mabel years earlier and is determined not to let Cora escape. Cora and Caesar reach South Carolina, where they initially find refuge in a seemingly progressive society that hides sinister intentions.
Chapter 4: South Carolina
Cora works at a museum and receives basic education, while Caesar trains as a doctor. However, they discover that the state’s “benevolent” programs are actually eugenics experiments on Black people. Ridgeway arrives, forcing Cora to flee alone via the Railroad.
Chapter 5: North Carolina
Cora arrives in North Carolina, where slavery has been abolished—but at the cost of lynching any Black person found in the state. Hidden in an attic by a sympathetic couple, she witnesses brutal executions before being discovered and forced to flee again.
Chapter 6: Tennessee
After a harrowing journey through a plague-ridden Tennessee, Cora reaches Indiana, a free Black settlement called Valentine Farm. She finds temporary peace, but tensions arise between those who want to fight for freedom and those who prefer compromise.
Chapter 7: Indiana
Cora integrates into the Valentine Farm community, forming relationships and enjoying relative freedom. However, Ridgeway tracks her down, leading to a violent confrontation. The farm is destroyed, and Cora is captured.
Chapter 8: The North
Ridgeway transports Cora back south, but she is rescued by Royal, a Railroad conductor. Ridgeway pursues them, leading to a final showdown in a Railroad tunnel. Cora kills Ridgeway and escapes alone, boarding a train to an uncertain future.
Chapter 9: The North (Continued)
Cora’s fate remains ambiguous as she heads toward freedom. The novel ends with her boarding another train, symbolizing both hope and the ongoing struggle for liberation.
Key Ideas
- The brutality of slavery and systemic oppression
- The Underground Railroad as a metaphor for resistance
- The illusion of progress in “benevolent” societies
- The cost of freedom and survival
- The cyclical nature of violence and oppression
Who should read this book?
- Readers interested in historical fiction with a speculative twist
- Those exploring themes of race, oppression, and resilience
- Fans of literary fiction with deep social commentary