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A review by leswag97
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
4.0
Ta-Nehisi Coates is a brilliant writer and storyteller, and "The Water Dancer" definitely does not disappoint or fall short of the hype. Coates' first full-length novel truly feels like a masterful blend of fact and fiction, of history and legend, as he weaves the story of the Underground Railroad and the legendary work of Harriet Tubman with a tale of love, pain, and beauty that is fictitious and make-believe, but does not change or alter its legitimate impact on the reader.
As I read through Coates' work, I could not help but note his influences. Pulling from the likes of such writers as James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison (especially "Beloved") and Octavia Butler (especially "Kindred"), Coates has created a unique and telling story of his own, which is set in an age gone by, but still has much to say today. The horrors of slavery are evident throughout the story, but ultimately, this story is a story of freedom, and of what true freedom meant for Black men, women, and children, and not only for them as individuals, but for whole families and communities. "The Water Dancer" is a great story, keeping the reader engaged throughout, and the story Coates tells is important and timeless for all readers.
As I read through Coates' work, I could not help but note his influences. Pulling from the likes of such writers as James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison (especially "Beloved") and Octavia Butler (especially "Kindred"), Coates has created a unique and telling story of his own, which is set in an age gone by, but still has much to say today. The horrors of slavery are evident throughout the story, but ultimately, this story is a story of freedom, and of what true freedom meant for Black men, women, and children, and not only for them as individuals, but for whole families and communities. "The Water Dancer" is a great story, keeping the reader engaged throughout, and the story Coates tells is important and timeless for all readers.