The Known World

Details: Edward P. Jones, a two-time National Book Award finalist, tells the narrative of Henry Townsend, a black farmer and former slave who comes under the tutelage of William Robbins, the most powerful man in Manchester County, Virginia. Townsend conducts his business with exceptional discipline, making sure he never breaks the law. When he dies suddenly, his widow, Caldonia, is unable to keep the estate in order, and pandemonium ensues.