The Pulitzer citation called James an “accomplished reconsideration” that illustrates “the absurdity of racial supremacy and provide a new take on the search for family and freedom.”

Percival Everett’s 2024 novel James continues to earn widespread acclaim. After being named a Booker Prize finalist and winning both the Kirkus Prize and the National Book Award for Fiction, Everett has added the 2025 Pulitzer Prize.

James” is a retelling of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” told from the perspective of Jim, an enslaved man determined to reunite with his family.