Rick Kohut
I'd read this book a while back and decided now was a good time to try the audiobook. The narrator captured the first person perspective of the story in a better than average way. The story-world is thought provoking. The U.S. never had the Civil War b/c four southern states were granted the ability to carry human slavery forward to the present day. The "underground airlines" of the title is a new metaphor for an old, our world reality - an organization to move escaped slaves to freedom. The world of the story was more compelling then the characters - with the exception of the narrator, Victor. He's a complex character and his journey is fascinating and well-earned. The other characters, especially the priest, felt like sketches with unclear motivations. 3/4th of the book felt like a world which could be real. Unfortunately, the ending disappointed me as it took a turn in a direction which hadn't been established as a possibility earlier in the story. So, 3.75 stars, rather than 4 or slightly higher.
I'd read this book a while back and decided now was a good time to try the audiobook. The narrator captured the first person perspective of the story in a better than average way. The story-world is thought provoking. The U.S. never had the Civil War b/c four southern states were granted the ability to carry human slavery forward to the present day. The "underground airlines" of the title is a new metaphor for an old, our world reality - an organization to move escaped slaves to freedom. The world of the story was more compelling then the characters - with the exception of the narrator, Victor. He's a complex character and his journey is fascinating and well-earned. The other characters, especially the priest, felt like sketches with unclear motivations. 3/4th of the book felt like a world which could be real. Unfortunately, the ending disappointed me as it took a turn in a direction which hadn't been established as a possibility earlier in the story. So, 3.75 stars, rather than 4 or slightly higher.