I'm typically not a fan of retellings, but this one--which I read for a book club--does what I think most of them fail to do: recontextualize a character in a way that substantively contributes to the conversation begun by the original work.

The command of voice and emotion on display in the writing is top-notch, and I highly recommend the audiobook, because Dominic Hoffman brings the characters to life with his narration. Hearing the code-switching out loud is incredibly effective.

I also recommend having read both Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Candide by Voltaire for maximum effect.

Docking a star because I think that the women are not developed well, and because

Spoiler

I'm tired of reading on-page rape used to up the emotional stakes for male characters in lit fic written by men. I see why it was included here--both in terms of the narrative structure and character arc, and in terms of historical accuracy--but on the level of personal reading preference, I would like it if I could occasionally pick up a literary novel without it including a rape.