This was definitely not my typical book of choice. I often state that I am not a fan of fiction and cannot ever remember reading a science fiction novel. However, I have to admit that KINDRED held my attention from the first paragraph and I couldn't put it down until I had finished it.
I think it is important to note the publishing date of this book (1979), as well as the fact that the author, Octavia Butler, is a woman of color. In my opinion, while there are some scenes that most certainly date the story (researching books for information rather than using an online search engine, for example), the story is as relevant today as when it was written over forty years ago. The book itself is easy to read. In fact, some of the negative reviews for this story are from readers who felt the author, the plot, characters, and conversations are oversimplified. I did not find any of this a distraction from the story. The accounts of abuse, beatings and the general lack of regard for other human beings were hard for me to digest emotionally. , By transporting the main characters through time travel from modern times to the era of slavery in the United States, the horrors of this era became a little more tangible to me. This was, in my opinion, the author's genius. The novel gave me a lot to contemplate and I appreciate that in a story. I felt like it helped me to see race issues more from the author's perspective.
The plot can be summarized rather simply. Dana is forced to travel back in time to keep one of her ancestors, a white plantation owner named Rufus, from destroying himself. The premise is if he does not live long enough to father a child with one of the slave women, a direct ancestor of Dana's, then Dana may never exist. This self-preservation aspect of the story is instrumental in Dana's allowing certain things to happen that she would not otherwise tolerate. At one point, the author has Dana contemplate how quickly she began to fall under the abusive power of the plantation owner and submit to his wishes so that she could survive another day. This was mind-blowing to me and it caused me to think about how quickly we all grow numb to evil and begin to accept that we can do nothing to change it.
“I closed my eyes and saw the children playing their game again. 'The ease seemed so frightening.' I said. 'Now I see why.'
'What?'
'The ease. Us, the children ... I never realized how easily people could be trained to accept slavery.”
― Kindred
I read the Ebook version of this story which I borrowed through my Libby app. I gave the book a four-star rating on Goodreads.