Octavia Butler's 'Kindred' follows the story of Dana, a black woman living in 1976 who unexpectedly travels back in time to the 1800s. She finds herself on a plantation in the antebellum South, witnessing firsthand the inhumane treatment of slaves. The book explores themes of racism, slavery, and survival as Dana navigates between her present life in the 1970s and the harsh realities of the past. The writing style is described as engaging, emotionally intense, and expertly crafted, offering a unique perspective on the complexities of race relations and identity.
'Kindred' is a time travel tale that delves into the psychology and sociology of slavery in America, challenging traditional narratives and exploring the effects of time travel on the characters. The protagonist, Dana, is portrayed as a complex and relatable character who grapples with the moral and ethical dilemmas of her time-traveling experiences. The novel deftly balances a swift narrative style with profound philosophical considerations, inviting readers to reflect on the themes of privilege, history, and relationships across power differentials.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for Kindred include depictions of slavery, violence, racial and sexual violence, trauma, abuse, and suicide.
From The Publisher:
A Good Morning America 2021 Top Summer Read Pick
The visionary author's masterpiece pulls us-along with her Black female hero-through time to face the horrors of slavery and explore the impacts of racism, sexism, and white supremacy then and now.
Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana's life will end, long before it has a chance to begin.
Ratings (97)
Incredible (23) | |
Loved It (41) | |
Liked It (21) | |
It Was OK (9) | |
Did Not Like (2) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (201):
Read It (97) | |
Want To Read (74) | |
Did Not Finish (3) | |
Not Interested (27) |
6 comment(s)
Surprisingly good. I don't care for this kind of novel but I had to read it for my lit course and I enjoyed it. I wouldn't read it more than once though.
When people say that science fiction is an escapist genre, this is the book you hand them. A Goodreads review can't do this book justice; it needs scholarship.
Dana, a black woman living in 1976 California with her white husband Kevin, begins to be transported to another time and place. She quickly figures out that she is in Maryland in the early 19th century; each time she appears there, she finds a white boy in danger. She saves him, and soon learns that Rufus is one of her ancestors. Dana must keep Rufus alive so he can have a child with Alice, a free black woman, in order to preserve her own family tree.
As the introductory essay notes, the mechanism of time travel is not important here.
Kindred uses time travel as a platform for a story that intertwines a modern American's sensibilities and knowledge of history with history itself. As Dana spends more and more time in the south, her story becomes a slave narrative. Rufus is the son of a slave-owner, and when Dana is with him she must play the part of a slave. Slowly, over the course of months, the mechanisms of slavery exert themselves over Dana and she finds herself succumbing to passivity, obedience, and submission. It is truly terrifying.
Kindred is remarkable in its breadth. Clocking in at only 264 pages, it manages to explore how slavery effects both black and white people, both men and women, people as individuals as well as in families; how social forces and cultural norms are nearly inescapable. Octavia Butler isn't saying "if we forget our history we are doomed to repeat it," or something similarly trite. She reminds us that history is always with us, that the past is constantly informing the present in ways we may not even be aware of. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Just finished this for the Goodreads Discord book club!
Got really into it at about the half way mark. It started off a bit hard for me to get into the story. Glad to have added it to me reads!
Also found out there's a Tv series based off of it, it doesn't have the greatest reviews but intrigued to try and watch it
I was put off from reading
Kindred because I didn’t enjoy
Fledgling as much as I expected to, but as soon as I saw
Kindred listed as one of fifty books recommended in
This is the Canon, I knew I needed to read it. I was not disappointed.
Though not a comfy read, I was completely engrossed by
Kindred. Butler is extremely intentional in her writing; every element is meaningful. For example, Butler intentionally sets the antebellum slaveholding household parts in Maryland. I think most (white?) Americans' reaction would be, “But Maryland’s not even the South!” Civil War enthusiasts’ reaction would be more specific, “But Maryland eventually wasn’t part of the Confederacy—it was a border state!” Through situating most of the novel in Maryland, Butler pushes back on the popular myth that slavery and racism only happened in a
limited part of the United States.
Oof, there’s so much more that I could analyze, but I’m so impressed that I’m having trouble expressing my thoughts.
Everyone should read
Kindred; it’s one of the few books I’m willing to give five-stars.
This book really surprised me. I mean, I heard it's really good, but I didn't expect to like it that much.
I had serious doubts if this would be a book for me. First of all, I've never liked the time travel theme. I don't know why, but it just never worked for me. Still, I can't say that this was my favorite part of the book either, but at least I didn't mind it. I'm not a huge fan of historical novels either, they just aren't for me. The general idea of this book is definitely beyond what I usually read. And while I really enjoyed this book, I doubt I'll be reaching for more of this type of story in the future.
I was surprised how suitable and multi-dimensional this story was, especially considering the fact that it was written in the late 1970s. In my opinion, the author managed to capture all the shades of gray in the world she created very well. The world the main character ends up in is neither easy nor black and white. The views and values presented by the author in this book are truly timeless. That's why I don't think this book has lost its relevance. And that is why it has an impact on the modern reader as well.
I am very happy that I read this book and I believe that it rightly deserves all the good words that are being said about it.
It's heartbreaking and ingenious.
What can you read after
Kindred?
About the Author:
Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006) was the author of many novels, including Dawn, Wild Seed, andParable of the Sower. She was the recipient of a MacArthur Award and a Nebula Award, and she twice won the Hugo Award.
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