AFAReads discussion

As you may know, we're hosting Overground Railroad author Candacy A. Taylor for an interview on AFAR's Instagram Live feed on May 28.

Please leave any questions here that you'd like to submit by May 21, 5 p.m. PT.

When you wrote the book you expected that there would be some of the places closed that were listed in the book. What place listed in the book did you find the biggest surprise and why?

MaryAnn wrote: "When you wrote the book you expected that there would be some of the places closed that were listed in the book. What place listed in the book did you find the biggest surprise and why?"

That's an excellent question, MaryAnn—and one I'm curious about as well. Thanks for sharing! Look forward to hearing Candacy's response on May 28th.

Congratulations on such a fascinating book, Candacy! I feel humbled by your talent as a writer and also by how many freedoms I have taken -- and take -- for granted. I'd be curious if you already know what your next book will be . . .

The story in Overground Railroad: The Green Book & Roots of Black Travel in America is so complex but I found it to be still very readable, and I think that has a bit to do with the structure. Why did you choose to tell the story by edition rather than by, say, geographical region or the chronology of your trip to all the sites?

How did you overcome your fear and sadness while on the road? How did you learn to develop trust with strangers? And how did you make sure you wouldn’t hurt them when you left?

I really learned a lot from this book.