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A review by ricksilva
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
challenging
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Very intense story about an African-American woman living in Los Angeles in 1976, who repeatedly finds herself transported to early 19th Century Maryland where she is somehow linked with an ancestor, arriving in the past every time that his life is in danger.
The nature of the time travel is never fully explained, although its mechanics, and some of their pretty-scary implications are explores. The real focus is on the experience of a modern black woman trapped in a slave state in the early 1800s, and of the pervasive nature of the racism of the time as well as that of modern times.
Dana is an intellectual by nature, and she is quick to accept what is happening to her and to try to find ways of coping with a horrific situation. The story pulls no punches when it comes to the slave experience. Characters are complex, and in many ways as trapped by the system around them as Dana is trapped by the time travel phenomena.
The nature of the time travel is never fully explained, although its mechanics, and some of their pretty-scary implications are explores. The real focus is on the experience of a modern black woman trapped in a slave state in the early 1800s, and of the pervasive nature of the racism of the time as well as that of modern times.
Dana is an intellectual by nature, and she is quick to accept what is happening to her and to try to find ways of coping with a horrific situation. The story pulls no punches when it comes to the slave experience. Characters are complex, and in many ways as trapped by the system around them as Dana is trapped by the time travel phenomena.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Suicide attempt, Torture, Suicide, Slavery, Violence, and Hate crime