The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
When Elwood Curtis, a Black teenager growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, is unjustly sent to the Nickel Academy, he finds himself inside a brutal reform school shaped by violence and silence. There, he forms an unlikely friendship with Turner, whose view of the world challenges Elwood's belief in justice and progress.
As life at the Academy grows more dangerous, the tension between what they believe and what they must do to survive leads to a choice that will echo far beyond their time there. Based on the real history of a notorious institution, The Nickel Boys is a powerful and unflinching novel about friendship, injustice, and the lasting impact of the past.
About the Author
Colson Whitehead is the author of multiple novels, including The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, both of which received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
His work explores American history through deeply human stories that examine memory, injustice, and resilience.
How to Participate
Free and open to readers across Denver, One Book One Denver is a citywide reading experience that invites adults across Denver to come together through a shared story.
Programming runs from August 7 through September 30 and includes a series of free events happening across libraries, cultural spaces, and partner venues throughout the city. From conversations and performances to screenings and exhibitions, each program offers a different way to engage with this year's selection.
Free copies of The Nickel Boys are available at select library locations and community sites across Denver, while supplies last.
Find an event near you, read at your own pace, or join the conversation online.
Resources
Program Guide
Download the full schedule of events happening across Denver inspired by The Nickel Boys.
Readers Guide
The Readers Guide is designed to enhance your group's discussion through questions and topics.
Featured Events
Liberty By Any Means
Sunday, August 16, 2-3:30 p.m.
Buntport Theater
717 Lipan St., 80204
A live performance and a community conversation about solitary confinement, written and performed by Michael Clifton. A Q&A with Michael and other formerly incarcerated individuals will follow the performance. It is an afternoon aimed at sharing lived experiences, disrupting stereotypes, and finding a path forward.
Sites of Memory
August 7 - September 19
Colorado Photographic Arts Center
1200 Lincoln Street, Suite 111, 80203
Inspired by The Nickel Boys, Sites of Memory brings together four artists whose work explores how trauma, history, and resilience are embedded in place and carried across generations. Through photography, the artists consider the stories we inherit, the memories held within people and places, and the ways the past continues to shape the present.
Lists
Continue your One Book One Denver journey with these curated collections of book, movie, and music titles inspired by the themes of The Nickel Boys.
FAQs
Why isn't the author from Colorado?
This program is about you and your city, not about where a writer lives. Colorado authors are always considered — if the book is the right fit, it will be chosen.
Why isn't this for kids?
Because you deserve something just for you. DPL's Summer of Adventure has families covered. This one is entirely, unapologetically yours.
Sponsors and Program Partners
One Book One Denver is made possible through the collaboration of program partners across the city and by you. Together, we bring this shared story to life across Denver.
