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A review by sdwoodchuck
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
4.0
Format: Audiobook
Asha Vere here presents the journals of her mother, Lauren Oya Olamina, beginning in the days she settled in as the head of a small community of Earthseed faithful alongside her much older husband, and Asha's father. From there Lauren's journals and Asha's interjections lead us through the struggles between the Earthseed community and a rapidly radicalized country that view them as heretics.
Asha Vere here presents the journals of her mother, Lauren Oya Olamina, beginning in the days she settled in as the head of a small community of Earthseed faithful alongside her much older husband, and Asha's father. From there Lauren's journals and Asha's interjections lead us through the struggles between the Earthseed community and a rapidly radicalized country that view them as heretics.
Let me tell you, picking up a book from 1998, a future 2032 featuring a president pushing the country to violence with a "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan wasn't on my bingo card, and made for a surprising start. Overall, I still wasn't super invested in the world of Earthseed, but this story feels much stronger the Parable of the Sower, with Asha's framing narrative giving some much needed perspective, and casting some necessary doubt on Lauren's accounts of events.
While I'd call it a B+ overall, the last 10% or so of the book is an easy A+ for me; really gripping stuff, and a powerful note to end on.
While I'd call it a B+ overall, the last 10% or so of the book is an easy A+ for me; really gripping stuff, and a powerful note to end on.