The first science fiction written by a black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of black American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity. Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous …
The first science fiction written by a black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of black American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity. Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she’s been given...
287 pages
English language
Published April 4, 2003 by Beacon Press.
The story is narrated in such a captivating way. Readers should be prepared for very serious topics that would warrant a number of content warnings, but the strong way in which the author engages with these themes makes this the very reason to read the book in the first place.
This book was an intense read, genuinely making me feel stressed sometimes. I'm mostly left speechless. I don't even know how to describe the wide array of feelings this book made me go through. A must read, in my opinion.
