Book notes | The Nickel Boys
Colson Whitehead, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for The Underground Railroad, explores the horrors of a reformatory school for boys in Florida in his subsequent novel, The Nickel Boys.
The impetus for the book comes from the scandals related to the Dozier School for Boys that was closed by officials in Florida in 2011. In Whitehead’s story, a Black teenager, Elwood, who was raised by his grandmother and lives an exemplary life, is charged with car theft, convicted on very flimsy evidence, and sent to the Nickel Academy. The juvenile reformatory is situated in a very attractive setting that belies the cruel and sometimes fatal punishments administered there.
Soon after Elwood’s arrival, another boy, Turner, who knows the ropes, befriends Elwood.
Whitehead conveys to the reader not only the excess physical and mental torture but also the graft carried out by the reformatory’s staff and board of directors.
A captivating story
The book ends with Elwood and Turner escaping and one being shot. Like a mystery, the reader is taken into the future to discover whether the boy shot was Elwood or Turner. It is a captivating story, told by an excellent writer, that makes one want to search for information about treatment at “reform schools” in Minnesota and other states.
UMRA Book Club I discussion participants noted that it was not an easy read; but they appreciated being exposed to the horrors that existed—and may continue to exist—in many reform schools.
Whitehead, who also won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for The Nickel Boys, provides very graphic descriptions of the punishments delivered. The ending chapters of the book are intriguing and a bit puzzling.
—Mariah Snyder, UMRA Book Club I member
Book Club I to meet January 21, 2022
Fri, Jan 21 2022, 2pm
Mariah Snyder will lead the discussion of The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead when the UMRA Book Club I meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, January 21.
Contact Pat Tollefson at [email protected] for more information, including suggestions for starting a new book club.
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.