James by Percival Everett

 James is a retelling of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, the runaway slave.

In this telling, Jim is highly literate, having snuck into the local judge's library to peruse his books at night. He has dreams where he's carrying on long conversations with people like Voltaire. But when he's around white people, he talks like a slave. When Jim finds out his owner is planning to sell him to someone in New Orleans, he takes off--and thus begins a long journey full of danger, adventure, and some colorful characters. But Jim's goal is always to go back and rescue his beloved wife and daughter--then head to freedom. It's a compelling tale.