by Paul Beatty
Reviewed by Janet:
This winner of the 2016 Man Booker Prize is a satirical look at race and racial identity in the United States. Raised in isolation by his professor father, the narrator finds himself the subject of many a psychological study, which has a devastating effect on his identity and self-esteem. When their home town of Dickens loses its designation as a place, it becomes his goal to give the town, and the people, of Dickens back their proud identities.