Quote by Esi Edugyan: “To be human is to be caught in a great web.”

This quote suggests that human existence is interconnected and complex, much like a vast web. It implies that our lives are intertwined with others, with history, and with societal structures, making true isolation impossible.

The early 2010s, marked by growing global interconnectedness and complex social movements, emphasized how individual lives are intrinsically linked to broader historical and social forces. Edugyan's novel explores these ties through the lives of artists navigating a prejudiced world.

Canadian novelist of Ghanaian descent whose novel Washington Black won the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2018. Her work explores Black history, freedom, and identity across the Atlantic world, including the Caribbean plantation system and the history of slavery.