Kindred

Book No: 42
Title: Kindred
Author: Octavia E. Butler
Genre: Historical Fiction
Completed: 7/30/09
No. of Pages: 264
Rating: 4/5*****

This book has a truly fascinating premise: What if an African American of modern day was unaccountably catapulted back in time to a time when slavery was the norm in the southern United States? What happens when her modern sensibilities are confronted with the real experience of being black in a time and place where that meant you had no rights at all? That is the scenario in Kindred by Octavia Butler and it is a riveting story.

Entwining historical fiction with science fiction Ms. Butler tells the story of Dana, an educated black woman living in NYC 1976 with her husband Kevin, who is white. Inexplicably she is pulled back in time, by a young boy named Rufus; he is drowning and Dana saves him. Rufus is Dana’s ancestor and time after time when he is in danger he somehow summons Dana to his side; she has no way of knowing when it will happen or what event will trigger her return to her own time.
Using the device of time travel Ms. Butler shows how an entire race is subjugated by the slave owners, how easily Dana slips into the life of a slave in order to survive. One time her husband is transported with her and they act as slave and owner in order to endure the times. They are both shocked by how easily they slip into their roles.

The book starts off with a bang and every time Dana is brought back in time the tension is ratcheted up a bit. The young Rufus grows up to be a slave owner and a selfish and cruel one at that. Each time you are wondering and worrying about what will happen to Dana and the rest of the slaves we become involved with over the years the story takes place. My only real problem with the book is Dana’s constant forgiveness of Rufus despite the way he treats her and her friend Alice. I understand her need to make sure nothing happens to Rufus, for otherwise she could not exist, so she is damned is she does something yet damned if she doesn’t. It’s a moral question that isn’t fully addressed; I would have liked to see Dana question her own motives more. I also would have liked to learn something of what happened to Kevin at the time he is left behind while Dana returns to the present. Outside of these two issues I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.