What could a new novel about slavery reveal about its history?

Closon Whitehead is here to talk about his new novel, The Underground Railroad.

That first section of engines in Georgia I wanted to be as realistic as I could make it,

which means a lot of brutality, and it means impressing upon the reader the psychological

tortures that they were forced to endure.

How did the kidnapping of Patty Hearst turn into one of the biggest political flashpoints

of the 70s?

With her Jeffrey Tuben is here to talk about American Eris, his new book about Hearst's

abduction.

The degree to which the United States was having a collective nervous breakdown during

the early and mid 70s was shocking to me looking back.

Also your favorite summer books and what we hear at the Book Review as well as other

people are reading.

This is Inside the New York Times Book Review, I'm Pamela Paul.

Closon Whitehead's new novel, The Underground Railroad, is already making a mark as a work

of fiction that combines history and metaphor, telling a story about slavery in America in

new and surprising ways.

Whitehead is the author of many books including Zone One and Sag Harbor, and he's also received

a MacArthur Genius Grant and many other awards.

Closon, thanks so much for being here.

Sure, my pleasure.

So this is not your first novel, obviously, but how many novels have you written?

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