K is for Kindred

(Octavia) Butler’s most celebrated, critically acclaimed work tells the story of Dana, a young black woman who is suddenly and inexplicably transported from her home in 1970s California to the pre–Civil War South. As she time-travels between worlds, one in which she is a free woman and one where she is part of her own complicated familial history on a southern plantation, she becomes frighteningly entangled in the lives of Rufus, a conflicted white slaveholder and one of Dana’s own ancestors, and the many people who are enslaved by him.

During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she’s been given: to protect this young slaveholder until he can father her own great-grandmother.

Author Octavia E. Butler skillfully juxtaposes the serious issues of slavery, human rights, and racial prejudice with an exciting science-fiction, romance, and historical adventure.

I’m not a huge science fiction fan. I haven’t read that many sci-fi books, and mostly I go see the movies because Ted wants to. Because of this, I have thus far been unaware of the work of Octavia Butler. When we were in Portland this summer, we spent a bit of time at our favorite book store, Powells Books. We were in a bit of a hurry, so we all went our own ways and set a time to meet up. When we were all together again and looked to see what books we had chosen, Maya and I both came out with an Octavia Butler novel, Parable of the Sower, which the Powells review assures us that it will scare the crap out of us. Gulp. It didn’t say that on the little blurb under the book, or I probably wouldn’t have read it. Later, we were back at the house of my step-mom’s neighbor Marilyn, who has no cats and a big house, and is kind enough to let us stay with her when we are in Portland. We showed Marilyn our books, and she had read Parable of the Sower, and said it was really well written and horrific. She said her favorite Butler book was Kindred.

When we got back to California, I bought the novel and tore through it. Maya is into audio books, so she downloaded the book and listened to it. It was really, really good. Difficult to read in a lot of spots, shocking and thought provoking in turn. I highly recommend it. It’s not science fiction in that it doesn’t have any space or aliens or anything fantastic like that, except for the very obvious conceit of time travel.

I haven’t got my nerve up to read Parable of the Sower yet. I think I’ll read that soon, though, because Butler is extremely talented.