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““Better to stay alive,” I said. “At least while there’s a chance to get free.” I thought of the sleeping pills in my bag and wondered just how great a hypocrite I was. It was so easy to advise other people to live with their pain.””

What is the Book about?

Dana, a modern Black woman, is celebrating her 26th 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.

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Rating
Plot ★★★☆☆
Characters ★★★★☆
Excitement ★★★★★
Atmosphere ★★★★★
Writing Style ★★★★☆

Favourite Character
Dana

My thoughts while reading it

Certainly, one could imagine more pleasant destinations for time travel than the plantation of a slaveholder in the early 19th century – especially as a black woman. This is the experience that the young black writer Dana undergoes, who was just setting up her new home with her newlywed husband and is suddenly ripped from it into a completely different environment, where she instinctively saves a little boy named Rufus from drowning in front of his desperate mother. Only in the moments afterward does she get an idea of where she has landed and must quickly adapt to the situation – a situation where every wrong word and unconscious action can have devastating consequences for her.

So, it is undoubtedly an interesting and tension-filled scenario into which Octavia E. Butler transports her readers in “Kindred.” At the same time, the author cleverly combines the historical novel genre with science fiction elements, which might sound unusual at first but works very well in practice, providing a “modern” perspective on that time. Although this novel was first published in the late 1970s, and the protagonist Dana still lives in the year 1976, the story has not lost its relevance and impact, reflecting the unfortunate reality that racism is still prevalent today. Many of the experiences and situations Dana encounters throughout the story are still present in some form today.

Certainly, slavery is not an easy topic, and “Kindred” is far from a “feel-good” novel. However, Butler manages to vividly and accessibly convey this complex issue. This is due not only to a pleasant and easily understandable language but also to a careful yet powerful narrative style. While the story includes many harsh events such as physical abuse, rape, or the destruction of families, many of them are not witnessed directly by the reader – instead, some happen in Dana’s absence or are narrated in a more matter-of-fact manner. This approach allows readers to be spared explicit depictions of violence while still confronting the injustices presented in the narrative.

Moreover, what may be more disturbing and shocking is the casual manner in which white characters exercise their societal power and superiority. The plantation owner’s family, for example, is not necessarily portrayed as malicious monsters reveling in the suffering of their slaves; they are simply indifferent, as they view black people as pure capital that regularly yields returns, enabling their privileged lives. The dehumanization of black individuals, treating them as mere property, is often what leaves readers speechless and provides insight into how this damaging worldview was passed down from generation to generation, highlighting the deep-rooted nature of racism in society.

However, “Kindred” exhibits weaknesses in the realm of science fiction elements. Dana’s time travels are treated as a means to an end and are not physically explained; they are simply accepted as given. If this is a primary appeal for a reader, they may be disappointed, as the typical components and thought experiments associated with time travel are not explored. Additionally, the notion that Dana can repeatedly appear over decades without visible signs of aging seems somewhat implausible and might evoke only mild surprise and restrained scepticism from people in the early 19th century.

While “Kindred” may not satisfy high sci-fi expectations, Octavia E. Butler’s novel remains an essential read, effectively conveying a dark piece of American history while packaging this challenging subject into an engaging and accessible novel with a serious message that resonates even today.

Reading Recommendation? ✓
Favourite? ✓