Here's the fascinating new novel that Oprah just picked for her book club

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Oprah has selected her latest pick for her beloved book club. Colson Whitehead’s "The Underground Railroad" is the lucky title to be named the 2016 selection.

"This book has kept me up at night, had my heart in my throat, almost afraid to turn the next page," Oprah said in a video announcement on Amazon. "Get it, then get another copy for somebody you know because you are definitely going to want to talk about this with somebody once you read that last, heart-stopping page."

"The Underground Railroad" is Whitehead's sixth novel and follows Cora, a slave on a Georgia plantation who makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South.

According to Barnes and Noble, in Whitehead's story, the Underground Railroad is a literal thing and not a metaphor for secret passageways. The retail bookseller even compares it to "Gulliver's Travels."

"When I got the call, I let out a stream of loud, joyful expletives — which was awkward because my plane had just landed and everyone looked at me like I was crazy," Whitehead said in a statement, according to Entertainment Weekly. "Oprah has introduced so many wonderful books to people, from 'The Song of Solomon' to 'The Sound and The Fury,' that I’m honored and grateful that 'The Underground Railroad' is joining such great company. You write the best book you can, and hope it finds its way. This is the best kind of sendoff."

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Watch clips of Oprah's interview with Whitehead on Amazon, and check out the other books featured in the club.

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