Historical

Shallow Waters

Shallow Waters

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  • Create Date：2021-08-26 08:52:28
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Anita Kopacz
  • ISBN：198217966X
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Summary

“Spellbinding。。。A captivating debut。” — Harper’s Bazaar ​

​ ​In this stirring and lyrical debut novel—perfect for fans of The Water Dancer and the Legacy of Orïsha series—the Yoruba deity of the sea， Yemaya， is brought to vivid life as she discovers the power of Black resilience， love， and feminine strength in antebellum America。

Shallow Waters imagines Yemaya， an Orïsha—a deity in the religion of Africa’s Yoruba people—cast into mid-1800s America。 We meet Yemaya as a young woman， still in the care of her mother and not yet fully aware of the spectacular power she possesses to protect herself and those she holds dear。

The journey laid out in Shallow Waters sees Yemaya confront the greatest evils of this era; transcend time and place in search of Obatala， a man who sacrifices his own freedom for the chance at hers; and grow into the powerful woman she was destined to become。 We travel alongside Yemaya from her native Africa and on to the “New World，” with vivid pictures of life for those left on the outskirts of power in the nascent Americas。

Yemaya realizes the fighter within， travels the Underground Railroad in search of the mysterious stranger Obatala， and crosses paths with icons of our history on the road to freedom。 Shallow Waters is a nourishing work of ritual storytelling from promising debut author Anita Kopacz。

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Reviews

♡Ellie ，

After I finished this book， it took me a moment to really take in what I had just read。 A novel filled with heartbreak， and yet a form of reality that read like non fiction in a way that caused a lump in my throat and I couldn’t help but cry。 This emotional novel， about the beautiful Mermaid Goddess Yemaya opened my eyes to HER beautiful story。 A story about love， a story about fighting for freedom， and a story of many beautiful characters， who are so important and essential in this story。I felt After I finished this book， it took me a moment to really take in what I had just read。 A novel filled with heartbreak， and yet a form of reality that read like non fiction in a way that caused a lump in my throat and I couldn’t help but cry。 This emotional novel， about the beautiful Mermaid Goddess Yemaya opened my eyes to HER beautiful story。 A story about love， a story about fighting for freedom， and a story of many beautiful characters， who are so important and essential in this story。I felt like it may have been s bit of a short read， I know I definitely wanted to know more。 But they say， the best books are those that keep you wanting more。 I recommend it to all readers， those who love a touch of fantasy， and magical realism， with some historical elements within。 。。。more

Ej ，

Amazing This was a very interesting book。 I wish it was longer but I'm so thankful to the random tsa worker at my job recommended it。 Amazing This was a very interesting book。 I wish it was longer but I'm so thankful to the random tsa worker at my job recommended it。 。。。more

Gina Fucci ，

Such an amazing story！ Did not want to put it down！ A combination of cultures and myth that is simply wonderful。 It is definitely a heavy subject but one that absolutely needed to be told and was done so beautifully。

smalltownbookmom ，

I did NOT want this beautifully told story to end！！ What a gorgeously moving debut by Anita Kopacz！ Part historical fiction and part fantasy， this story is set in Antebellum America featuring Yemaya， a Yoruba deity of the sea and part of African mythology。 Yemaya makes a choice to transform herself into a human form and follows Obatala， a slave man she sees as he makes his way by ship to America。 Once there she quickly comes to learn about the hatred and racism of American slavery and the horror I did NOT want this beautifully told story to end！！ What a gorgeously moving debut by Anita Kopacz！ Part historical fiction and part fantasy， this story is set in Antebellum America featuring Yemaya， a Yoruba deity of the sea and part of African mythology。 Yemaya makes a choice to transform herself into a human form and follows Obatala， a slave man she sees as he makes his way by ship to America。 Once there she quickly comes to learn about the hatred and racism of American slavery and the horrors of the Trail of Tears。 I loved that Yemaya was such a strong and resilient woman。 She meets and befriends and diverse cast of characters， from escaped slaves， Indigenous tribes， Quakers and other sympathetic white people working to help slaves travel the underground railroad。 She also has to fight against men that want to enslave her， others that think she’s a witch and try to kill her。 Throughout it all she acts with generosity and kindness， helping those she meets and always trying to make her back to Obatala。 I can’t gush about this book enough！ HIGHLY recommended for fans of The water dancer， Conjure women or The legacy of Orïsha series by Tomi Adeyemi Excellent on audio read by Michelle Kopacz！ Fingers crossed there is more to come by this author soon！ 。。。more

Polly Krize ，

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。agical and mesmerizing， Yemaya accompanies a slave ship from Africa to the Americas， following her love， Obatala。 Not human， Yemaya is known to all as the One， a witch to the white slave owners， and a beautiful woman to the soldiers of the Underground Railroad。 Ms。 Kopacz tells this tale adroitly and sensitively。

Verónica Fleitas Solich ，

I came to this book because as soon as I saw that it was an adaptation of the mythological Yemanja the mother of all the Orishas， I knew I had to read it。It was not everything I expected， it lacked a bit of mysticism and certainly fell short of giving our protagonist the value that she has。I recognized what I knew about her in the offerings and the respect that is had for her， but from my experience with the goddess of the sea， I was left me wanting more of her。The boook certainly lacks fervor w I came to this book because as soon as I saw that it was an adaptation of the mythological Yemanja the mother of all the Orishas， I knew I had to read it。It was not everything I expected， it lacked a bit of mysticism and certainly fell short of giving our protagonist the value that she has。I recognized what I knew about her in the offerings and the respect that is had for her， but from my experience with the goddess of the sea， I was left me wanting more of her。The boook certainly lacks fervor which does not do any favors to the valorization of culture。In any case， it is a start for those who wish to know more about the Orishas。 。。。more

Megan ，

Kopacz’s book Shallow Waters is one that needs to be included alongside Butler’s Kindred。 Shallow Waters weaves together Yoruba deities， Native American tribes， and the Underground Railroad into a seamless and beautiful， sometimes heartbreaking， novel。 This book is perfect for middle school and high school students。 As a former teacher， I see a lot of potential with this novel: you could be studying religion （Yoruba， Native American， Quaker）， or history （slave trade， Trail of Tears， the Undergro Kopacz’s book Shallow Waters is one that needs to be included alongside Butler’s Kindred。 Shallow Waters weaves together Yoruba deities， Native American tribes， and the Underground Railroad into a seamless and beautiful， sometimes heartbreaking， novel。 This book is perfect for middle school and high school students。 As a former teacher， I see a lot of potential with this novel: you could be studying religion （Yoruba， Native American， Quaker）， or history （slave trade， Trail of Tears， the Underground Railroad）， or philosophy and transcendentalism （Ralph Waldo Emerson， Frederick Douglas， Harriet Tubman）。 The possibilities are endless。 Kopacz gives a brief nod to many different religions， peoples， and events throughout her novel。 It is by no means an exhaustive book with many details， but enough to encourage you to learn more。The story follows Yemaya， a young merwoman who lives off the coast of Africa。 She falls in love with a local fisherman， Obtala， and when slavers come to pirate away Obtala’s people， Yemaya follows the slave ships。 She arrives in America and transforms into human form。 She journeys across many states to find her true love， encounters many notable people， and learns to embrace her goddess self。As I mentioned above， this is a great YA book。 The pacing is quick， the language easy to understand， and the characters present a historic snapshot of the times。 I do wish that there was more to the ending of the book—perhaps a bit more about Yemaya coming into her powers， but I don’t think Yemaya’s goddess status is Kopacz’s focus。 I love that this book paints a mural of strong BIPOC women。 While reading this， I couldn’t help but think how many young girls will love reading about a strong African merwoman-goddess who looks like them or about the young and feisty Native American girl。 I enjoyed that there’s a bit of magic in here and that the romance is tactful。Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC！ 。。。more

Deshawn Bowman ，

A nice， weekend read--it was engaging， thoughtful， tragic and dare I say inventive。 Yemaya is needed for this time。 She was new to me and I am all the better for being introduced to her。

Grace ，

It was interesting and kept me wanting to read more。

Stacy ，

When I ‘discovered’ Virginia Hamilton earlier this year I fell in love with folklore and legends and mythical storytelling。 This book has all of that。 It’s shorter at just over 200 pages and is perfect for a young adult introduction into the genre and the time period in America， mid 1800s。 I really liked the book and learning more about the Yemaya and Obatala legend and love how Kopacz imagined a new story for them。Yemaya is a deity of the sea in the African Yoruba people religion。 When she deci When I ‘discovered’ Virginia Hamilton earlier this year I fell in love with folklore and legends and mythical storytelling。 This book has all of that。 It’s shorter at just over 200 pages and is perfect for a young adult introduction into the genre and the time period in America， mid 1800s。 I really liked the book and learning more about the Yemaya and Obatala legend and love how Kopacz imagined a new story for them。Yemaya is a deity of the sea in the African Yoruba people religion。 When she decides to follow her heart and love across the ocean as his slave ship heads to America， she makes the decision to transform from mermaid to woman so she can find him on land。 She is welcomed into a Native American tribe， taken as a slave， and saved by a Quaker before finding her special powers and her way north。I love the beautiful cover and I’m excited to have this one my bookshelf！ 。。。more

el。 :） ，

I LOVED THIS BOOK SM AND THE ENDING I WOULD HAVE NEVER SEEN IT COMING

Shannon ，

I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss+， all opinions are my own。I love retellings and stories based on myth and folklore。 This is is based on Yemaya， who is a Nigeria deity of the Ocean， and like many tales of gods and goddesses her tales were passed down via word of mouth so they are all a bit different。 I've read several other stories where Yemaya was present but she is always associated with water and the sea。 Kopacz's tale is no different， but this version of Yemaya spends much of her time on I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss+， all opinions are my own。I love retellings and stories based on myth and folklore。 This is is based on Yemaya， who is a Nigeria deity of the Ocean， and like many tales of gods and goddesses her tales were passed down via word of mouth so they are all a bit different。 I've read several other stories where Yemaya was present but she is always associated with water and the sea。 Kopacz's tale is no different， but this version of Yemaya spends much of her time on dry land during a very real time in history discovering her powers and trying to protect those around her。 While I enjoyed this I felt it was a bit underdeveloped。 I felt there were far to many coincidences that led to Yemaya ending up where she needed to be at the right time with all of the right people to help her。 I also felt that the character development could have been a tad stronger。 If you read the author's note this is supposed to be a story of healing， so perhaps that is by design。 I think I was expecting something more along the lines of Kindred or Beloved， and this is significantly lighter。 While Yemaya is a goddess with power， she uses her power for healing not for violence and retribution。 The author's note explains exactly what you are getting in this book， so I should have checked my expectations at page 1。 She wrote exactly the story she wanted to tell， and I commend her for that。I do feel that the author did a wonderful job with historical aspect of this book by bringing real people and events into the story。 I did a little bit of reading about Yemaya and the lore associated with her， and several things that were mentioned or that happened in the story make a lot more sense。 For example， there was a heightened importance given to the pregnant women present and watermelon。 Yemaya is not only goddess of the sea， but associated with children and pregnant women and watermelon was mentioned as a common offering in ceremonies associated with Yemaya。 。。。more

Elaine Tronic ，

This would be fine as a YA novel， but appears to be adult fiction。 The writing is simplistic， the characters are one dimensional （good guys/bad guys）， and the fantasy/ mythology element is not particularly interesting。

Rae Thompson-Scott ，

First of all， This book is categorized as historical fiction and adult fiction but it is fantasy for middle schoolers at best - not even YA fiction。 Yemaya herself is depicted as a young girl who has her period for the first time and didn’t even know what it was。 How is this an adult fiction novel？？I’m not a fan of romance so the fact that Yemaya is running through the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman and chopping it up with Frederick Douglass and all she can talk about is “finding her l First of all， This book is categorized as historical fiction and adult fiction but it is fantasy for middle schoolers at best - not even YA fiction。 Yemaya herself is depicted as a young girl who has her period for the first time and didn’t even know what it was。 How is this an adult fiction novel？？I’m not a fan of romance so the fact that Yemaya is running through the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman and chopping it up with Frederick Douglass and all she can talk about is “finding her love” while slaves are getting whipped and sold was kinda wack in my opinion。 It gave some real “where for art thou Romeo” vibes。 No Bueno。 I also didn’t like that the author used Tubman’s and Douglass’ real name and likeness in this completely fictionalized fantasy。 This made it even more cheesy for me。 The writing was not bad， and the story wasn’t horrible， but I think I would have like it a lot better if I was 12 years old learning about the Underground Railroad for the first time。 I also don’t feel like there was a connection to Yemaya the great Orisha of the Ocean。 It felt more like Ariel from the Little Mermaid running thru the Underground Railroad looking for Prince Eric 🥴Again， it wasn’t horrible but I feel like it was categorized as a historical adult fiction to garner more sales。 It’s definitely belong in the kids section which isn’t a bad thing！ 。。。more

Will Singleton ，

3 stars。 Very nice debut by this author！ I will admit， the story didn’t really hold me， and I wasn’t completely invested in the story at all times。 There were moments in the book where I felt like it could have used a lot more dialogue instead of just explaining everything。 However， it was still a good read overall and as mentioned before， a nice debut！

Sasha Wins ，

🎆My ReviewI saw the book posted on numerous platforms。  And once I read the synopsis， I was hooked。 This book is told in first person from Yemaya's POV。 I looked up the Orishas Pantheon， and， Yemaya & Obatala are mates❤。 The author did such amazing job combining the mythology into the historical events of slavery in America。 It enjoyed elements of historical figures & events added to story-- Underground railroad， Harriet Tubman， 1st Nation people of America， and all those who wanted freedom & ju 🎆My ReviewI saw the book posted on numerous platforms。  And once I read the synopsis， I was hooked。 This book is told in first person from Yemaya's POV。 I looked up the Orishas Pantheon， and， Yemaya & Obatala are mates❤。 The author did such amazing job combining the mythology into the historical events of slavery in America。 It enjoyed elements of historical figures & events added to story-- Underground railroad， Harriet Tubman， 1st Nation people of America， and all those who wanted freedom & justice。Like any story about slavery， there is pain， misery， and unwavering faith。 This ebb and flow throughout the book。The love between Yemaya & Obatala made me swoon❤。 From their first encounter， their travels across the seas， his poems， and their spiritual connections stole my heart。Yemaya's power mad this saying ring true， " Water is Life" 🌊 。 She endured and adapted to her surroundings and circumstances。  This had me rooting for her from the beginning to the end！🎆What I didn't like🤷🏾‍♂️The first half of book was popping。 But second half was a tad all over the place。 Sadly， the ending made me upset。🤬🎆 Overall😍I recommend this book for some， If you want fantasy with mixture of history。 #Yemaya #Obatala #GreatSpirit #Moses。 #UndergroundRailRoad #strength #Love #EternalOne 。。。more

Sarah ，

As someone who is ignorant to Yoruba folklore and deities until this book， I guess the most I can do with this is to thank "Shallow Waters" for kickstarting my journey in learning more about Yemaya。 Other than that， this book did not work for me， and I'm going to try my best to explain why:The Writing:So， the writing is， indeed， simple。 There's nothing with that， per se， unless the goal was to have this read as a Young Adult or middle-grade novel。 Considering this appears to have been marked on As someone who is ignorant to Yoruba folklore and deities until this book， I guess the most I can do with this is to thank "Shallow Waters" for kickstarting my journey in learning more about Yemaya。 Other than that， this book did not work for me， and I'm going to try my best to explain why:The Writing:So， the writing is， indeed， simple。 There's nothing with that， per se， unless the goal was to have this read as a Young Adult or middle-grade novel。 Considering this appears to have been marked on Goodreads as just about everything but YA or middle-grade， I admit that I'm a bit skeptical。 The simpleness of the writing did lend for a quicker read， though， as well as its short length。 Unfortunately， the shortness of the book leads me into my next problem:Characterization:For lack of a better word， every single character in this book is shallow。 There's no depth to any of them， not even our main protagonist。 I think I understand what the author was attempting with this， making Yemaya a physical manifestation of the water goddess and how most everyone she comes to meet -- her people， mostly -- have already heard of her or know who she is， whether it's because her face is plastered on wanted posters all over the country， or simply because she's a goddess who they look to for guidance and strength and perseverance。That's something that did not work for me， the looking to Yemaya for guidance or strength or perseverance because， since we're stuck in Yemaya's head for the entirety of this short novel， I don't know why anyone would be looking to her for anything。 Her sole purpose was essentially just trying to find her Obatala， and there was a point in the story where she seemed to forget that briefly， but once she's reminded of her alleged love， that's all she's focused on and I just don't understand why she loves him or why he loves her because none of it is really said。 We're just supposed to read between the lines， I guess， read into their so-called "moments" in the beginning of the book when they see each other for the first time and he's originally captured and put on a slave ship bound for the New World that is the United States。 I wasn't convinced that they love each other。 We're just told over and over again that they do， but not really shown。Another thing I didn't really like was the character of Phineas。 While I know that white plantation owners were just as bad， oftentimes worse， as Phineas， his villainy came across almost。。。 cartoonish？ All of his dialogue felt。。。 I don't know how to explain it， but it felt kind of forced。 Over the top。 Slightly unbelievable。The Pacing:The first few chapters were paced nicely， but as you continue reading， it starts picking up at breakneck speed and you're not able to get to know any of the characters that Yemaya meets on her journey。 There are a handful of characters Yemaya runs into more than once throughout the story， but a majority of the characters are just one-offs who are there one second， gone the next。The Ending:If that wasn't the most predictable of endings in a story， I don't what is。 To me， the ending just felt like a complete waste of time。I was hoping that I would like this more than I did， because it definitely sounds like an important story to be shared with the world， but it was just executed poorly， in my opinion。 I believe it could have done with some more fleshing out of the characters， as well as a better build-up of the relationship between Yemaya and Obatala， because we're not told anything about who Obatala is at all， so their "love story" comes across flat。Again， I will thank "Shallow Waters" for kickstarting my interest in reading more not just about Yemaya and Obatala， but of Yoruba folklore in general because I am always interested in learning about new things and seeing how the story of Yemaya and Obatala change between Africa （Nigeria） and South America （Brazil） is fascinating to me。 I also thank Edelweiss for providing me this arc to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Ahtiya （BookinItWithAhtiya） ，

Review to come because what the hell even was this？ lol but also。。。yikes

Alana ，

Kopacz’s lyrical story of Yemaya draws you in。 It’s a genre-bending story， mixing a coming-of-age story with historical fiction and fantasy。 Yemaya is a strong and dignified character and I imagine many will find her inspiring。 But besides Yemaya， most of the characters are thinly-drawn sketches and the plot is very simple， not overburdened with details。 It’s captivating but I wanted more depth。 The narration by Michelle Kopacz， the author’s sister， was excellent—she brought Yemaya to life beaut Kopacz’s lyrical story of Yemaya draws you in。 It’s a genre-bending story， mixing a coming-of-age story with historical fiction and fantasy。 Yemaya is a strong and dignified character and I imagine many will find her inspiring。 But besides Yemaya， most of the characters are thinly-drawn sketches and the plot is very simple， not overburdened with details。 It’s captivating but I wanted more depth。 The narration by Michelle Kopacz， the author’s sister， was excellent—she brought Yemaya to life beautifully。 Thank you to @simon。audio for this review copy。 The opinions are my own。 。。。more

Erin O'Malley ，

Absolutely stunning。

Signed， Iza ，

This would have been so good if it didn't lacked depth on the characters that keeps being introduced then disappears。 Even our protagonist lacks depth as well as the sudden unrealistic love interest。 needed to。The writing was choppy and loose ends。 Timelines and narration was disjointed as well。 And the end was obviously rushed This would have been so good if it didn't lacked depth on the characters that keeps being introduced then disappears。 Even our protagonist lacks depth as well as the sudden unrealistic love interest。 needed to。The writing was choppy and loose ends。 Timelines and narration was disjointed as well。 And the end was obviously rushed 。。。more

Molly Sullivan Donnelly ，

Happy publishing day to this beauty of a book！ What a unique and beautiful story。 Yemya is brought to life in the mid-1800s and falls in love with an African fisherman while they are both at sea。 She follows him to land where he is captured and forced to become a slave。 The story follows Yemya as she searches for him and travels the Underground Railroad。 The story is mythical but a mix of historical fiction。 It is not something I normally pick up but I am so glad I did， I really enjoyed it。 Im g Happy publishing day to this beauty of a book！ What a unique and beautiful story。 Yemya is brought to life in the mid-1800s and falls in love with an African fisherman while they are both at sea。 She follows him to land where he is captured and forced to become a slave。 The story follows Yemya as she searches for him and travels the Underground Railroad。 The story is mythical but a mix of historical fiction。 It is not something I normally pick up but I am so glad I did， I really enjoyed it。 Im grateful to Atria/Black Privilege Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy。 。。。more

Kim Brands ，

This story is fantastic and a must read for lovers of myth and history。 The characterization pulls you in， and the way that the different facets of history at the time are woven together makes for a rich atmosphere。

Sarah-Hope ，

Anita Kopacz's Shallow Waters is built around a striking premise: a young Yemaya （the Yoruba mother/sea god）， unaware of her powers， falls in love with an African fisherman and， when he is captured by slavers， follows his boat across the sea to the pre-Civil War U。S。， transforms herself into a woman and sets out in search of this man。 The book has been compared to The Water Dancer and The Prophets， so I was looking forward to the kind of read that would build a world and let me live in the minds Anita Kopacz's Shallow Waters is built around a striking premise: a young Yemaya （the Yoruba mother/sea god）， unaware of her powers， falls in love with an African fisherman and， when he is captured by slavers， follows his boat across the sea to the pre-Civil War U。S。， transforms herself into a woman and sets out in search of this man。 The book has been compared to The Water Dancer and The Prophets， so I was looking forward to the kind of read that would build a world and let me live in the minds of its characters as they experience that world。As several reviewers have pointed out， however， this title reads like Young Adult literature。 It's episodic， and too much of the narrative relies on coincidence。 I'm meaning to slam neither young adult literature nor Shallow Waters， but at 224 pages the author doesn't give herself room to flesh out the many situations， settings， and characters she creates。 I'd love to see this novel developed into a trilogy， say， that would let readers linger on different stages in the journey Yemaya takes。Bottom line， though: Kopacz wrote the book she wanted to write—not the book I might have wished she'd written。 Shallow Waters provides an effective basic introduction to one part of Yoruba beliefs; introduces a number of historical characters， including Harriet Tubman and Ralph Waldo Emerson; depicts the underground railroad; and explores the way U。S。 colonialism shaped the lives of those unwillingly brought from Africa and those who were living on this land before the arrival of Europeans。 There's much to value here， even if some readers may leave the book wishing for more。I received an electronic review copy of this title from the publisher; the opinions are my own。 。。。more

Lindsey Eick ，

I received an ARC from @SimonandSchuster from a Goodreads giveaway。 This was a wonderful debut novel from @AnitaKopacz 。 I loved the way the story flowed with no lulls。 It was an incredible story or strength and courage told from the point of view of Yemaya。 The story was wonderful and characters were well developed。 Absolutely loved the story between Yemaya and Obatala。 Cannot wait to read future novels by Ms。 Kopacz。 This novel was unexpectedly incredible beyond words。 So glad I was able to be I received an ARC from @SimonandSchuster from a Goodreads giveaway。 This was a wonderful debut novel from @AnitaKopacz 。 I loved the way the story flowed with no lulls。 It was an incredible story or strength and courage told from the point of view of Yemaya。 The story was wonderful and characters were well developed。 Absolutely loved the story between Yemaya and Obatala。 Cannot wait to read future novels by Ms。 Kopacz。 This novel was unexpectedly incredible beyond words。 So glad I was able to be immersed into this story and world！ 。。。more

Joy Nielsen ，

Unique， wonderful read that I would have appreciated even more as a teenager。Was happy to receive an Advanced Readers Edition。

Rachel ，

Non-BIPOC reviewer。 Prior to reading this book， I was unfamiliar with the story of Yemaya。 Part mythology， part fantasy， and part historical re-imagining， this book presents a unique account of slavery and the underground railroad。 Though the context is important for all readers， I was not quite sure who exactly the intended audience was。 In some ways the book seemed directed at younger readers， with simple prose and limited description of the more horrific events。 But other passages seemed to s Non-BIPOC reviewer。 Prior to reading this book， I was unfamiliar with the story of Yemaya。 Part mythology， part fantasy， and part historical re-imagining， this book presents a unique account of slavery and the underground railroad。 Though the context is important for all readers， I was not quite sure who exactly the intended audience was。 In some ways the book seemed directed at younger readers， with simple prose and limited description of the more horrific events。 But other passages seemed to speak to adult readers。 Though I greatly appreciate the author's goals and intentions with this work， and I enjoyed the brief journey， in some ways I felt like I was only getting a shallow view of Yemaya， and the author's， full potential。 。。。more

Sylvia-Marah ，

I received an advanced reader’s copy of Shallow Waters by Anita Kopacz from Black Privilege Publishing， an imprint of Atria/Simon and Schuster， after winning a Goodreads giveaway。 When I read the description of this novel， it immediately intrigued me。 In this historical fantasy Yemaya， an Orisha water deity from the religion of Africa’s Yoruba people， finds herself thrust into mid-1800s America before the civil war。 Yamaya is a Black mermaid who’s parents have died。 She is alone in the sea and d I received an advanced reader’s copy of Shallow Waters by Anita Kopacz from Black Privilege Publishing， an imprint of Atria/Simon and Schuster， after winning a Goodreads giveaway。 When I read the description of this novel， it immediately intrigued me。 In this historical fantasy Yemaya， an Orisha water deity from the religion of Africa’s Yoruba people， finds herself thrust into mid-1800s America before the civil war。 Yamaya is a Black mermaid who’s parents have died。 She is alone in the sea and doesn’t yet comprehend who and what she is。 Yemaya follows a fisherman， Obatala， she has fallen in love with in Africa， across the Atlantic on a slave ship， when slave traders abduct his tribe。 When Yemaya reaches the New World， she is confronted with the ugly realities of slavery， while struggling to find Obatala。 Yemaya finds her inner strength while traveling the Underground Railroad， where she meets historical icons of the abolitionist movement。I don’t want to say too much about Shallow Waters， because I would hate to spoil the plot for interested readers。 What I can say is that through Yemaya’s eyes we see the horror of both slavery and the annihilation and relocation of native populations in North America。 The disbelief she experiences when she first comes to understand what the white man is doing to her people and the native people of the America’s is palpable。 But she encounters kind white people too。 People who are dedicated to helping runaway slaves find freedom in the North。 I found many of the characters Yemaya encountered on her journey intriguing and wanted more of their stories。 My central criticism of this novel is that the pacing felt a little rushed; I wanted more。 I feel like Kopacz touched the surface of these characters。 I would have liked for Yemaya to spend more time with the groups of people who helped her along the journey， diving deeper into their experiences and the place in history they occupy。 I suspect the brevity may have been a stylistic choice。 I have noticed stories inspired by folklore and mythology often have an intentional brevity and simplicity。 Perhaps this was the case with Yemaya’s journey。 I found this novel enjoyable and interesting。 If I piqued your interest， you can pre-order a copy online， or purchase from your local bookseller on August 3rd。 。。。more

Debra Pawlak ，

I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley。com in return for a fair review。 This story is based on an African folk tale about a black mermaid named Yemaya and the man she loves， Obatala。 I had never heard of this story or of either of these characters， but author Anita Kopacz did a fine job bringing them to life and relating their adventures。 When Obatala is taken from his homeland and sold as a slave in America， Yemaya follows him--first as a mermaid and then as a woman。 She I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley。com in return for a fair review。 This story is based on an African folk tale about a black mermaid named Yemaya and the man she loves， Obatala。 I had never heard of this story or of either of these characters， but author Anita Kopacz did a fine job bringing them to life and relating their adventures。 When Obatala is taken from his homeland and sold as a slave in America， Yemaya follows him--first as a mermaid and then as a woman。 She has magical powers， as well as the ability to heal。 She is befriended by kind white people and desperate slaves， who have faith that she can help them。 As she travels from state to state with the Underground Railroad， she is focused on finding Obatala。 Anita Kopacz is a promising new author and I hope she plans to pen more books。 If you have never heard of Yemaya and Obatala， I recommend this one--it is a quick read and well-written。 I look forward to hearing more from this author。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Shallow Waters

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Shallow Waters&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Shallow Waters&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0