Mark Twain's nineteenth-century novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" introduced the character of Jim, a runaway slave, who traveled with young Huck down the Mississippi River. Twain chose to tell the story in Huck's voice and from Huck's point of view. Jim was arguably the bravest and most intelligent character in this novel, but the author presented him as simple, superstitious, and uneducated. Percival Everett's 2024 novel "James" tells the same story from Jim's point of view and in the voice of the slave.

In Everett's novel, James is educated and articulate, but he hides these attributes from the whites he encounters, knowing they will feel threatened by an intelligent negro. He instructs his family to feign ignorance and hide behind poor grammar to remain safe.

Everett fills in some of the gaps of Twain's novel when Huck and Jim separate, such as what happened when the "Duke" and "King" sold Jim. In addition, we hear Jim's thoughts, getting a glimpse inside his head of what he knows, what he thinks about Huck's words and actions, and how he chooses to respond. At the end, the book serves up a twist that helps explain Jim's loyalty to Huck.

"James" is much more than fan fiction. It is an intelligent story about a character we think we know well. It provides a new perspective on an old story that forces the reader to think about the faces people put forward.