Slavery has left such a complex, horrifying legacy that it's very hard for the descendants of slaves (and of slave owners), even now, to find a way to look back and understand what they see. There have been some amazing attempts - "Roots" and "Beloved" come to mind. But this book, more than any other I've read on the subject, honestly and brutally brings home the complexity, the sheer insanity, of it all.

Dana is a modern day black woman. She's living a decent life with her white husband, Kevin. One day she's sucked back in time to save a drowning little white boy with red hair. As the book goes on, Dana is sent back again and again, saving the boy, Rufus, at different times in his life, while Kevin watches her go, helpless. Dana decides to try to be a humanizing influence on Rufus, since she realizes that he is destined to be the head of his plantation and her great-great-great grandfather. But the world that Rufus inhabits is more complicated than Dana's simple rules of right and wrong, and she gets caught up in deciding between what's "right", and ensuring her own existence.

If you've never read any Octavia Butler before now, this book is a great first novel. And absolutely *no* collection of her work is complete without it. All of Butler's trademarks are here - her sparse prose, her relentless honesty and her "slap-you-in-the-face" way of exposing the truth. It's an amazing experience for anyone, but especially poignant if you're a descendant of slaves.





Recommended: Yes