A review by kirstenrose22
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

5.0

This was unbelievably good. A basic time travel scenario - a black woman from 1976 is repeatedly carried back in time to the first half of the 19th century, to protect an ancestor of hers (and ensure that the next generation is born, so that she can someday be born as well). Most of the book is about her efforts to come to terms with life as a black woman / as a slave (because it's almost impossible for her to be anything else) in the historical period - of course, she struggles quite a bit, but also realizes that there are certain things she must do in order to just survive. The contrast between her modern life and the historical one is huge. I think this is one of the best time-travel books I've ever read that really deals with the *psychological* effects. The slavery sections are pretty graphic and horrible - somewhat hard to read - but to good effect.

It makes me wonder what sorts of things my ancestors might have endured on a daily basis that I would have trouble just wrapping my mind around.....

Highly recommended.