Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction (2017 Shortlist)

The shortlist for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction was released today.  Three titles are on the list:

Moonglow by Michael Chabon

A young writer listens in breath-held astonishment as his ailing grandfather, whose lifelong reticence has been vanquished by strong painkillers, tells the hidden stories of his hardscrabble boyhood, WWII military service, obsession with moon missions, and love for a French Holocaust survivor.

Swing Time by Zadie Smith

Two "brown girls" growing up in London public housing share a passion for dance, but follow divergent paths which lead to adventures in America and Africa, and raise complex questions about family, friendship, race, creativity, and celebrity.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Whitehead reimagines the Underground Railroad in this powerful tale about smart and resilient Cora, a young third-generation slave who escapes the brutality of a Georgia cotton plantation and seeks sanctuary throughout the terrorized South.  (See my review:  http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/2016/09/review-of-underground-railroad-by.html).

For the longlist, go to http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/2016/09/andrew-carnegie-medal-for-excellence-in_25.html.)

The Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction was established in 2012 to recognize the best fiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. the previous year. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash award.  The winner will be announced January 22.

There is also a non-fiction prize; for more information, go to http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ala-unveils-shortlist-for-2017-andrew-carnegie-medals-for-excellence-in-fiction-and-nonfiction-300350905.html.