Kindred

Short Review: This is a fabulous book. I have only read one other of Butler's book (Fledgling her last book). Kindred was her first book that really sold so they are book ends of her career. I have not really read anything quite like it. A 26 year old newlywed African American woman from 1976 gets sucked into 1815 to save the life of a young white boy in antebellum Maryland. There is a relationship between them and for a reason that is never explained Dana keeps returning to him every time his life is in danger. It is at great danger to herself that Dana has to act on his behalf.

What really stands out about this book is that for all of the very real descriptions of slavery, this is not a book that unfairly looks at pre-Civil War whites. They are real people, tainted by the culture that allows for slavery, but still real people. And the slaves are real people as well. They are stuck in their situations, but still are real.

This is a book that you need to read. The narration of the audiobook is also excellent but I don't want to describe the book as much as strongly encourage you to read it. Slavery is a part of American history that we need to explore and understand and this is a book that looks at in in a different way than any thing else I have read.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/kindred-octavia-butler/