And I lost about a year of my life and much of the comfort and security I had not valued until it was gone. When the police released Kevin, he came to the hospital and stayed with me so that I would know I hadn't lost him too.
But before he could come to me, I had to convince the police that he did not belong in jail. That took time. The police were shadows who appreared intermittently at my bedside to ask me questions I had to struggle to understand.
This book was a little out of my reading comfort zone. However, I am so glad that I read it as it was fantastic and I enjoyed every page.
It was chosen for my book group read this month and I cannot wait to hear what my fellow book group members thought of it.
It is said to be the first science fiction novel written by a woman of colour. What pulled me so completely into this is the time travel element as it meant that many sections read like historical fiction, of which I am a devoted fan.
The main character, Dana, is a fully fleshed character and it was interesting to read about her in both time periods. For me, the most interesting parts of the novel were when she is called back in time to the plantation owned by her white ancestors. As a black woman she must assume the role of a slave while she waits to be transported back to 1976.
Although time travel is the device used to enable the reader to understand the history surrounding slavery through twentieth century eyes, it is about so much more. The community formed by the slaves and the terrible lives that they had as possessions of a white owner were difficult to read at times. Punishments by white owners were handed out with little thought, and for those who survived, it was interesting to observe the way in which they learned to adapt to life as slaves.
This novel is about gender, race and survival. It is about how an educated modern black American woman witnessed and lived in one of the most atrocious periods in history. It is one of the best books I have read this year.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to those interested in historical fiction, science fiction and black history. I am definitely going to check out some of Ms. Butler's other books and venture a little further into the science fiction genre.
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