The magical realism in this novel is very faint, for as much as is made of it in many reviews. It's just a method of escape to freedom, important as a metaphor for the power of story, history, and memory, but not something that would necessarily affect the plot all that much if it were removed. This is no Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad where the fantasy elements are involved. As you might expect from Coates, its strength is its prose. This is an old story, but it is told powerfully.
Overall: A