The Sellout

Set in the fictional, forgotten Los Angeles suburb of Dickens, Paul Beatty's "The Sellout" introduces an unnamed narrator whose childhood was a series of racially charged psychological experiments conducted by his eccentric father. Following his father's untimely death in a drive-by shooting and the subsequent discovery that no promised memoir exists to alleviate their financial woes, the narrator faces an even greater indignity: Dickens is literally wiped off the map. Driven by a potent blend of despair and absurdist logic, he embarks on a shocking mission to reinstate Dickens's existence and dignity by reintroducing slavery and segregating the local high school. This outrageous and provocative act catapults him into a landmark Supreme Court case, forcing a confrontation with America's complex history of race, identity, and freedom. Beatty crafts a searing, laugh-out-loud satire that is both deeply uncomfortable and profoundly insightful.