402Z Summer 2026 James by Percival Everett

This novel is a "reimagining" of the dangerous journey of Jim, the fugitive slave, and Huck from Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). In this novel Jim/James is shown to be a fiercely intelligent and compassionate slave who has escaped from Hannibal because he has been sold to an owner in New Orleans and will be separated from his wife and daughter. He needs to develop a plan to save them. Huck fakes his death to avoid being returned to his abusive father. Their encounter on an island in the Mississippi begins their journey from Hannibal down the river to a freedom and a new life. Part way on their journey, they are separated, and the reader then follows Jim’s journey until he is reunited with Huck. This novel digs deeply into the topics of morality, slavery, and freedom; Everett's humor and observations illuminate the complex character of Jim as an educated man with a rich inner life. The novel won many awards including the Pulitzer Prize in 2025. Students will have cameras on so that they can see and interact with each other.

Barbara Nelson, an OLLI member, taught for over 30 years at the secondary level, the last 20 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She has taught literature classes at OLLI, as well as art history classes that are based on National Portrait Gallery exhibits.