The Deep
Octavia E. Butler meets Marvel's Black Panther in The Deep, a story rich with Afrofuturism, folklore, and the power of memory, inspired by the Hugo Award-nominated song "The Deep" from Daveed Diggs's rap group Clipping. Yetu holds the memories for her people--water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners--who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly is forgotten by everyone, save one--the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu. Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities--and discovers a world her people left behind long ago. Yetu will learn more than she ever expected about her own past--and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they'll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity--and own who they really are. The Deep is "a tour de force reorientation of the storytelling gaze...a superb, multilayered work," (Publishers Weekly, starred review) and a vividly original and uniquely affecting story inspired by a song produced by the rap group Clipping.
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Yetu is the current historian of her people, and all of the memories she has to hold have become so painful that she only thinks about escaping them. Her people have forgotten the past and go about their days, relying on her to hold their entire history for them. Each year, on the day of the Remembering, she gives the memories back and is finally empty. At least for 3 days.
During this time, Yetu escapes and meets some humans in the shallows of th...read more
During this time, Yetu escapes and meets some humans in the shallows of th...read more
It is going to be hard to put my thoughts into words on this book. I loved this book. I got so into it, I had no idea that time even passed. The narration was very good as well.
The African slaves thrown overboard getting revenge by becoming 'mermaids' is what drew me in. I was hoping for vengeance. When I think of mermaids it is NOT cute, pretty, Disney-fied mermaids. They are pretty much as described in this book. I was glad I was wrong a...read more
The African slaves thrown overboard getting revenge by becoming 'mermaids' is what drew me in. I was hoping for vengeance. When I think of mermaids it is NOT cute, pretty, Disney-fied mermaids. They are pretty much as described in this book. I was glad I was wrong a...read more
Content warning for murder, enslavement, graphic descriptions, and related topics. I really enjoyed this novella. There were some incredible moments, especially in the beautiful writing. The setting is so atmospheric, and I loved the references to spoken word and oral histories. I really liked the ending, both for the Wajinru and for Yetu herself. I think my one question is what happened to Basta and those who were fighting? It felt like we switc...read more
An intricate and beautifully written story about a mermaid, called Wajinru, that is forced to remember everything for her people. Unable to bear the pain of all these memories alone she flees and finds solace in a two-legs who helps her realize the importance of belonging.
Alot of this story I don’t want to give away because the secrets are revealed as you go through Yetu’s rememberings. While focused on magical elements there is so much more t...read more
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