Kindred

This was not what I expected at all.

I wanted to read an Octavia Butler book and checked out a random one from my library. This book highlights the mixed feelings racism brings between black and white people. The main characters seemed to hate and love each other because they like each other's company but Rufus can't seem to help to do anything besides hurt the black people around him. I think he wants to do the right thing but never emotionally matured enough and didnt have enough backbone to stand up to societial norms.

An amazing read that I highly recommend. I would never have picked this book myself, but it was recommended and I picked up this time travel sci-fi book one night, thinking it would help put me to sleep. Four hours later, I had to force myself to put the book down. I will never forget this story. This book places you square in the middle of Antebellum South inside the skin of a modern day (by way of the 1970s) black woman trying to survive long enough to navigate her way back home. The author manages to skillfully make her point about slavery - all kinds of slavery - without going into too many gorey details which makes this accessible to all readers. There were some very gritty passages but necessary. The author brings history class to life in this compelling story and yet, her most powerful points are made in quiet moments. The most powerful one for me was when Dana realized how easy it was to condition people to accept horrific mistreatment. Especially when the power structure condones it. There were several passages that were hard to read. This book will leave a mark and is a MUST-READ for everyone. Even though it was written in the late 70s, it’s a timeless story about freedom and human nature. I would especially recommend for book clubs.

I enjoyed this book. I watch a lot of documentaries and movies about slavery and this story fell right in with those. It felt accurate.

The main character, Dana, travels back in time to rescue Rufus, a young boy who is drowning. She disappears from the 21st century for seconds, but in the past much more time passes. It seems she is intrinsically pulled to Rufus, who she later finds out has a child with a black woman who is her ancestor. The second time she is drawn back, it is because the curtains are on fire in Rufus's house. Again, she rescues him. However, on the third time she is pulled back to early 1800, her husband Kevin, who had been holding her hand, comes along with her. They are living on a slave plantation run by the Weyland family. Eventually she is separated from Kevin and seeks to find him by traveling North. The story is about slavery, the cruelty of the punishments endured, and life on a plantation. This is well-written, and suspenseful at times. I love the dual time periods and the time travel element of the story which separates it from other books with a similar theme.

Classic, timeless, and unfortunately still relevant.