Column: The Book Department: Two Contemporary Novels of Passion and Controversy by Black American Authors

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. New York: Anchor Books, 2016.

Beloved by Toni Morrison. New York: Vintage Books, 1987.

Here’s one delusion: that we can escape slavery.

We can’t. Its scars will never fade. --Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad

Whitepeople believed that whatever the manners,

under every dark skin was a jungle. --Toni Morrison, Beloved

Let’s cut to the chase: despite the controversies surrounding the titles listed above, I won’t hesi...