Kindred
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- Create Date：2021-03-27 12:12:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Octavia E. Butler
- ISBN：1472258223
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Summary
Octavia E。 Butler's 1979 masterpiece and ground-breaking exploration of power and responsibility， for fans of The Handmaid's Tale， The Power and Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing。 With an original foreword by Ayòbámi Adébáyò。
In 1976， Dana dreams of being a writer。 In 1815， she is assumed a slave。
When Dana first meets Rufus on a Maryland plantation， he's drowning。 She saves his life - and it will happen again and again。
Neither of them understands his power to summon her whenever his life is threatened， nor the significance of the ties that bind them。
And each time Dana saves him， the more aware she is that her own life might be over before it's even begun。
Octavia E。 Butler's ground-breaking masterpiece is the extraordinary story of two people bound by blood， separated by so much more than time。
In 1976， Dana dreams of being a writer。 In 1815， she is assumed a slave。
When Dana first meets Rufus on a Maryland plantation， he's drowning。 She saves his life - and it will happen again and again。
Neither of them understands his power to summon her whenever his life is threatened， nor the significance of the ties that bind them。
And each time Dana saves him， the more aware she is that her own life might be over before it's even begun。
Octavia E。 Butler's ground-breaking masterpiece is the extraordinary story of two people bound by blood， separated by so much more than time。
Reviews
Kayla Lords
，
If I hadn’t known this book came out the year I was born （1979） before I started reading it， I never would have known — that’s how timeless the story and the writing was。 The terror and powerless Dana feels as she’s pulled back and forth through time， from “modern” day to the antebellum south was palpable。 While reading I was both stressed out for her and unable to tear myself away， even at the most gruesome moments。 At times frustrating （as the reader rooting for Dana）， I also understood her ab If I hadn’t known this book came out the year I was born （1979） before I started reading it， I never would have known — that’s how timeless the story and the writing was。 The terror and powerless Dana feels as she’s pulled back and forth through time， from “modern” day to the antebellum south was palpable。 While reading I was both stressed out for her and unable to tear myself away， even at the most gruesome moments。 At times frustrating （as the reader rooting for Dana）， I also understood her ability to humanize Rufus， the ancestor pulling her through time to save his life over and over again。 Yes， he was a man of his time and he had his good moments， but he also saw her as a literal possession （not surprising as he enslaved people）。 Considering his upbringing it makes “sense” for the time， but seeing it through modern times made history come alive。 I highly recommend reading the essay at the end （if it’s available in your copy） as it also highlights the depths that the author went to to make sure the historical experiences of enslavedpeople depicted in the book were as accurate as possible。 Even if I didn’t know that， I would believe it because the brutality and horrors suffered felt too real to think otherwise。 The ending is as brutal as every other moment but also satisfying because no matter what， in the end， Dana was free。 When I say I love this book， it’s not because it was a walk in the park to read。 In fact， it was incredibly difficult in some places。 But it was riveting， excellently done， and makes me want to read the rest of Octavia Butler’s work even though I know that all （most？） of her other books aren’t historical but futuristic。 Her writing is worth jumping to a less-preferred genre （of mine） in order to read her work。 。。。more
David
，
I didn't know anything about Octavia Butler before I read this book。 I thought it was amazing！ Great characters and great plot。 It really held my interest and I learned more about slavery than I already knew。 I highly recommend this book。 I didn't know anything about Octavia Butler before I read this book。 I thought it was amazing！ Great characters and great plot。 It really held my interest and I learned more about slavery than I already knew。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Sherwin
，
Fantastic read。
Jessica
，
Kindred is an emotionally charged read about the perils of slavery and how in modern times we are not as far from this part of America's past as we'd like to think。 I devoured the book， but now that I'm doing the review， there are a few flaws that I didn't notice without hindsight。The time travel is never really explained， and then （view spoiler）[on Dana's final trip back her hand is stuck in the wall of her home and needs to be amputated to represent how traumatic slavery was。 I feel like the s Kindred is an emotionally charged read about the perils of slavery and how in modern times we are not as far from this part of America's past as we'd like to think。 I devoured the book， but now that I'm doing the review， there are a few flaws that I didn't notice without hindsight。The time travel is never really explained， and then （view spoiler）[on Dana's final trip back her hand is stuck in the wall of her home and needs to be amputated to represent how traumatic slavery was。 I feel like the scars from when she is whipped by Rufus's father represent that quite well。 （hide spoiler）] Also， the modern days aren't really fleshed out， as if Butler wanted us to substitute our own modern era understanding to give it life。 Something that is not easy for modern readers like me who never experience the 1970's。 It's just a plot device for Dana to come from。The third and final thing that bugged me is that Kevin， Dana's white husband， is better able to maintain his modern sensibilities about race relations better than Dana。 Part of the difference could be their positions in Antebellum society。 Dana is forced to pose as a slave/become a slave， while Kevin can earn his own money。 Maybe that's why one is able to help the Underground Railroad， while the other is forced to be complicit in the rape of one of her ancestors。 Still， for a novel that cautions that slavery is not as far back in the past for America as we like to think， it's a bit odd that a white man is able to keep himself morally untouched。One thing that the book did well was emphasize the unique horrors that women faced in slavery。 A plot point is the selling of children and how it traumatizes the mother。 Of course， there is also the threat of rape。 Indeed， it also emphasizes that slaves doing natural human things like starting families was exploited by slave owners。 。。。more
Joy
，
Took me a while to get into （is that just a thing for me and butler books） but I thought it was good。 Love the shifting dynamics between Dana and Rufus。 Did not expect that ending。
Erin
，
This book takes the idea of intergenerational trauma and uses a sci-fi vehicle to make it utterly， horribly tangible。
Sherri
，
Octavia Butler brings the reader into what slavery was like， including the violence and utter lack of free will， at the same time she does not allow the violence to become the focus。 Having Dana experience slavery as a modern woman rips apart any possibility of seeing slavery as anything but what it was。
Jmobley
，
Really enjoyed the reading and discussing of this book with book club。
Cami
，
Hard to believe this book was written back in the 70's。 It's timeless。 Hard to believe this book was written back in the 70's。 It's timeless。 。。。more
Abriana
，
I don't know what to say about this that hasn't been said before， but I'm glad I finally read something by Octavia Butler！ This book is written in a super accessible style - I will admit I was sort of intimidated by the idea of SF/historical fiction/slave narrative before getting into it。 I think this would be a really good book for high school reading or anyone unfamiliar with those aforementioned genres as well。 I sped through this once I got going。 For a plot that has a lot of repetitive elem I don't know what to say about this that hasn't been said before， but I'm glad I finally read something by Octavia Butler！ This book is written in a super accessible style - I will admit I was sort of intimidated by the idea of SF/historical fiction/slave narrative before getting into it。 I think this would be a really good book for high school reading or anyone unfamiliar with those aforementioned genres as well。 I sped through this once I got going。 For a plot that has a lot of repetitive elements， I never got bored。 There were some parts of this that required you to just accept and not wrestle with too much - the time travel and others' complete acceptance of it， Kevin's entire character tbh ？ But， things moved quickly enough that it didn't feel so much like underdevelopment as it did just a quick moving fantasy plot。 Really chilling， really good， looking forward to reading more from her。 。。。more
Mbinguni Mbinguni
，
The mother of Black-centered Sci-Fi！
Luiza Helena Vieira
，
MEU DEUS O ÓDIO QUE PASSEI NESSE LIVRO ABRIU MAIS UMA GASTRITE EM CIMA DA QUE EU JÁ TINHA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Ann Collentine
，
Outstanding - always take time to read
Andrea Pérez
，
No había esperado en Parentesco semejante rebumbio de emociones， la ausencia de dicotomía entre el odio y el amor， todo lo intermedio que hay en eso， la rabia。。。 ¿Que me pegara un puñetazo en la cara？ Desde luego。 ¿Todo esto？ Tampoco。Increíble。 Y angustioso
Emily
，
Powerful。 Heartbreaking。 Compulsive。
Geneva Yourse
，
I cannot sat enough about this book！ It was amazing！ I can't wait to read more from Octavia Butler！ I cannot sat enough about this book！ It was amazing！ I can't wait to read more from Octavia Butler！ 。。。more
Amy Moreira
，
As Butler stated herself， this is a science-fiction novel without any science。 Once the reader comes to terms with that， this is a story about the harsh truths of slavery。 Butler does not hold back from explaining the mental， emotional， and， especially， the physical harm slaves endured in the antebellum south。 I highly recommend this novel， but caution that it will not be a light read。 Kindred has given me a lot to think about， which is always a good indication of the power of its premise。
Katie R。 Herring
，
This novel gave me a lot to think about。 I thought some of the dialogue was awkward， though， forced。 I think Dana's just like that， though。 This novel gave me a lot to think about。 I thought some of the dialogue was awkward， though， forced。 I think Dana's just like that， though。 。。。more
izabella paiva
，
4。5
Corinne Edwards
，
4。5 rounded upWhen Dana is ripped from 1976 and dropped into 1815， she meets a young boy white boy named Rufus and she saves his life before she's back in her own time。 But then it happens again - and Dana begins to understand the depth of her reality when she's out of her own time。 Because she's Black， Dana's life is in a precarious balance - and Rufus is not the kind of person she can rely on to have good judgment。 Knowing that they both depend on each other - is that enough to make them trust 4。5 rounded upWhen Dana is ripped from 1976 and dropped into 1815， she meets a young boy white boy named Rufus and she saves his life before she's back in her own time。 But then it happens again - and Dana begins to understand the depth of her reality when she's out of her own time。 Because she's Black， Dana's life is in a precarious balance - and Rufus is not the kind of person she can rely on to have good judgment。 Knowing that they both depend on each other - is that enough to make them trust each other and the blood that Dana thinks they share？Okay， this is amazingly written。 Fast paced and SO thought provoking。 Dana's modern perspective on slavery AS IT IS HAPPENING AROUND HER was gutting and so painful。 Her introspection， her horror and yet strange complicity because of the circumstances was so intriguing。 When we were in antebellum Maryland， I was solidly there， it felt so grounded。 The intricacies of relationships， the twisted nature of master and slave and love and hate - it's all explored and picked apart。 Yes， it requires maybe a little more suspending of your disbelief because of the time slip aspect but I feel like I learned a little bit more about the Black experience during slavery while reading a really compelling story。 So glad I finally read it， Octavia Butler is a genius and I'm glad she's got more books for me to read。 。。。more
Kelly D。
，
Deromanticizes and illustrates the privilege of time-travel narratives。 The novel is uncomfortable for all audiences but especially pushes against white fragility by resisting a white savior or redemption story arc that is so common in slavery/racism stories。 The white characters are fairly represented as human and broken， whose corruptive power has retarded their maturation， discipline， and morals。
Bre Stewart
，
Ugh， I really wanted to like this book。 I'm trying to diversify my reading and was excited to see it was the first science fiction published by a black woman in 1979。 Unfortunately， author milestones don't always set the book up for success。 I totally missed the part where this story gets such high ratings。 The plot idea is original， but the execution fell so short。 First of all， the entire book is dialogue。 And that doesn't help keep track of the characters when there is no character developmen Ugh， I really wanted to like this book。 I'm trying to diversify my reading and was excited to see it was the first science fiction published by a black woman in 1979。 Unfortunately， author milestones don't always set the book up for success。 I totally missed the part where this story gets such high ratings。 The plot idea is original， but the execution fell so short。 First of all， the entire book is dialogue。 And that doesn't help keep track of the characters when there is no character development or story telling through their emotions。 Dana， the protagonist is awful。 It's so hard to cheer her on when she constantly goes out of her way to help a slave owner， even gives him a pet name - gross！ And considering she's from modern times， she succumbs to slavery so easily which is so weird to me that she doesn't put up a fight。 The book is straight up eyes bleeding boring。 I liked when Dana and Kevin were home in present time better than time traveling， if that shows you how NON adventurous the premise of the book actually was。 Kevin， the supposed white， "good guy" [if there was such a thing] in the story is never really explored or explained。 How does he adapt to slavery while Dana is gone？ Why is he so angry with her when they return？ Does he have slave owner ancestors？ So many questions。 I believe his character could've helped explain a lot of the disconnections I had with the book。 I liked the idea， the back of the book synopsis had me excited - especially it being my first science fiction novel in recent reading and is an important part of black literature。。。but overall， boring characters， boring writing and ZERO emotional / human connections were even attempted by Butler。 I tried。 I really wanted to like it。 Huge regret wasting time with this choice。 。。。more
Aditi Ramaswamy
，
A haunting， disturbing classic which should be lauded as one of the greatest pieces of American fiction ever written。 Kindred is brutal and does not shy away from depicting the ugliness of slavery， which is something a lot of popular media is reticent to address （I'm looking at you， Gone With the Wind）。 A haunting， disturbing classic which should be lauded as one of the greatest pieces of American fiction ever written。 Kindred is brutal and does not shy away from depicting the ugliness of slavery， which is something a lot of popular media is reticent to address （I'm looking at you， Gone With the Wind）。 。。。more
Hannah
，
4This was a good book。 The emotions I felt while reading Kindred were everywhere。 At some times， it seemed to drag on， but I will remember this book for a long time。
Katie
，
What I personally found most thought-provoking in this book was that it takes place in Maryland where slavery “wasn’t that bad。” Both Dana and Kevin at times refer to the fact that slavery in the relative north was “less brutal” than in the deep south， and how easy it would be to get used to living with *this type* of slavery （especially since Dana spent almost the whole time in the main house）。 It was a theme that came up over and over again throughout the book- that as long as there was the th What I personally found most thought-provoking in this book was that it takes place in Maryland where slavery “wasn’t that bad。” Both Dana and Kevin at times refer to the fact that slavery in the relative north was “less brutal” than in the deep south， and how easy it would be to get used to living with *this type* of slavery （especially since Dana spent almost the whole time in the main house）。 It was a theme that came up over and over again throughout the book- that as long as there was the threat of something worse， it would be easy to accept something terrible。 If this book had taken place in the deep south， where the culture surrounding slavery was exceptionally brutal， there wouldn’t have been this insidious feeling that， as long as they weren’t being physically abused， the enslaved people were content their lives （which， even if they were， would just have been a defense mechanism， as Dana points out with Sarah）。 This also makes the sudden， brutal moments even more horrific and shocking and highlights the fact that enslaved people were entirely at the mercies of the plantation owner’s whims。The structure of this book also lends itself so well to this tense feeling。 From early on in the book， you realize that every section is going to end with Dana fearing for her life in some way since that is what sends her back to her own time。 As the story progresses and her time in the past gets longer and longer， the build-up to that inevitable moment gets more and more agonizing。 And yet， it becomes so easy to forget and to fall back into the feeling of relative safety and security。 You start to think that maybe this time won’t be as bad。 This book shows that， although the physical brutality was easier to see， the day-to-day， soul-crushing acceptance that many enslaved peoples developed just to survive was just as present。 Even today， it is easy to look back at slavery as something that happened a long time ago， or as something that was measured in moments rather than years and generations- that enslaved people had to live their whole lives enslaved and that， for many of them， most of that time was the quiet， day-to-day knowledge that your life was not your own and that things could always get worse。 As Dana said， her black ancestors had， more than anything， an incredible “endurance。” Overall， a heartbreaking， thought-provoking， and incredibly important book。 。。。more
Elizabeth Ruiz
，
I couldn't read anything for several days after finishing this book。 I wish I had read this in a literature class or with a （non-white） book club。 This review is going to be disorganized， because I am still working through this。 I just want to write my thoughts while they're still fresh。Butler's writing is so direct and factual。 It's a bit jarring at first， but so is getting yanked back in time to the ante bellum south to save your ancestor from dying。 The premise itself is genius， and the way B I couldn't read anything for several days after finishing this book。 I wish I had read this in a literature class or with a （non-white） book club。 This review is going to be disorganized， because I am still working through this。 I just want to write my thoughts while they're still fresh。Butler's writing is so direct and factual。 It's a bit jarring at first， but so is getting yanked back in time to the ante bellum south to save your ancestor from dying。 The premise itself is genius， and the way Bulter explores this idea makes it timeless- aren't many of us looking to Black women to lead and save us， often from ourselves？ Despite the fact that in this novel， Dana's assistance came at great cost and she received very little gratitude。 She was insulted， hurt， and beaten， but time and time again she saved Rufus。 Rufus is an innocent boy living in a different time when Dana first gets yanked back。 At first her decisions seemed simple- save a boy from drowning， keep a child from accidentally burning down his house。 He gets older with each subsequent trip "home"， while Dana remains the same age。 To her， the trips back are so close together that her wounds do not even have time to heal。 This， I think， says something powerful about trauma from oppression and racism。 Despite how hurt and demoralized Dana is， she continues to save Rufus， even as his treatment of her gets worse。 She remains resolute to her values and hopes desperately that she can instill some good in Rufus while he's still young。 Her education and marriage to a white man， who at one point travels back with her， shield her from the worst of the treatment imposed upon the enslaved people on the plantation。 Dana is often mistaken for a man when she goes back in time， and the way she talks- and moreso， the way she talks to Rufus and Kevin- set her apart from other people of the time。 To those in the past， Dana is pushing the boundaries between whiteness and Blackness and "acting white"。 Every time she feels like she can be herself， an adult Rufus puts her back "in her place" with punishment by work or beatings。 Interesting that her education gave her a measure of safety with the white people， but only when it was convenient for them to keep her safe。 This feels depressingly familiar。 Rufus and Alice， a Black woman who was born free but then enslaved due to Rufus's jealousy and hatred， are Dana's ancestors。 Alice and Dana are described as being two parts of the same woman by Rufus， or as close as sisters， by other characters。 The familial connection is there， the raw honestly and unconditional love is there。 The similarities are striking， and although Alice was born free， Rufus enslaved her due to his own cruelty and jealousy。 Was it also because he could not control or own Dana， because she was untethered in time？Dana loses parts of herself even though her goal is seemingly to keep her ancestors alive long enough to continue their family tree so that she can eventually be born。 But when confronted with the realities of slavery， such as the harsh treatments and lack of safety， it's difficult to maintain her strength。 At times， it's all she can do to survive- and she even becomes desperate enough to self-harm in order to escape。 How can you remain whole after something like that？ She lost her arm in the altercation with Rufus， leaving a physical piece of herself in the past。 Her relationship with Rufus was so complex， and it was like she killed a part of herself and threw away her connection to whiteness by the loss of her arm。 This book is really making me think。 My only complaint was that I wish it had been a little longer- each of the visits back home was structured like a very short chapter book， and I just wanted more detail。 Also- the fact that she called the Weylin plantation "home"。 That is a whole other thing。 Damn。 This is an incredible， important， and ever-relevant novel。 。。。more
Mary Havens
，
5 million stars。I’m wrecked。 I’ve read/listened to slave narratives， fiction set during this time， and， to me， the closest kin to this book， The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead but it was not until Kindred that it all finally sunk in。 I don’t know if it’s the female-centric plot or the complete injustice but I felt like crying and screaming throughout most of this book。 Dana’s compassion for Rufus was hard to process。 Her acceptance and then dismissal by the other Blacks was likely extr 5 million stars。I’m wrecked。 I’ve read/listened to slave narratives， fiction set during this time， and， to me， the closest kin to this book， The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead but it was not until Kindred that it all finally sunk in。 I don’t know if it’s the female-centric plot or the complete injustice but I felt like crying and screaming throughout most of this book。 Dana’s compassion for Rufus was hard to process。 Her acceptance and then dismissal by the other Blacks was likely extremely accurate。 I know Butler was an avid reader/researcher so I have no doubt on the authenticity of these injustices。 While I found that Whitehead had an “everything and the kitchen sink” approach to the brutality， Butler’s “made sense” because of the time travel。 Dana never physically healed and her mental state， an almost Stockholm Syndrome mindset， made sense because of the time travel。 Genius。This book is not easy to read/listen to but it’s so good and so worth it。 Wish I had found it sooner （and I’m definitely giving The Underground Railroad another chance）。 。。。more
Rachel
，
A chilling exploration of how physical violence， threats to loved ones， and destruction of families enabled the system of slavery to operate， how this system terrorized and oppressed enslaved Black people， and how this system distorted and twisted the souls and personalities of white enslavers
Peter
，
Powerful， moving and disturbing。 Butler's achievement stands the test of time。 She brings to life an intrepid protagonist by employing a kind of reverse 'grandfather paradox' to teach us the brutal facts about the impacts of slavery。 Dana travels back in time， enduring bondage to secure her existence in the present by protecting her ancestor Rufus， a slave owner。 The power struggles of the past become exacerbated in contrast with the present。 We witness a slave-holding system that is unjust in i Powerful， moving and disturbing。 Butler's achievement stands the test of time。 She brings to life an intrepid protagonist by employing a kind of reverse 'grandfather paradox' to teach us the brutal facts about the impacts of slavery。 Dana travels back in time， enduring bondage to secure her existence in the present by protecting her ancestor Rufus， a slave owner。 The power struggles of the past become exacerbated in contrast with the present。 We witness a slave-holding system that is unjust in its right to believe it can control the lives of others。 Slave lives are a commodity， sold to the highest bidder tearing families apart。 Experiencing the cruelty and torment in the mistreatment of her ancestors changes Dana。 Butler reveals the disturbing reality of how slaves accepted their fate。 The more time Dana spends in the past， the more she acclimates to her role as a slave as a way of avoiding trouble for herself。 In the end， she cannot leave the negative impact of her experience in the past， and her decision to kill Rufus is profound。The power imbalance of anti-Black discrimination reveals a need to understand its historical roots and how it persists to this day as systemic racism in policies， systems and practices that maintain inequality for the Black community。 The extensive and harmful psychological impacts are widespread and deep。 To effectively address racism and achieve a culture of equity and inclusiveness， we all have an obligation to understand the historical context， empathize by listening with intent， and build relationships based on trust。 。。。more
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
，
I'm thinking 4。5 for this， but I might rate it higher later。The premise of this novel is terrifying and I was invested in this story from the first chapter。 I loved Dana， our main character。 I also loved how the writing style was straight-forward but detailed at the same time。 Even though this story is fictional， the things Dana sees and experiences feel real because they did happen to countless people。 Knowing that made this read heartbreaking and unforgettable。 If there is one downside， it wou I'm thinking 4。5 for this， but I might rate it higher later。The premise of this novel is terrifying and I was invested in this story from the first chapter。 I loved Dana， our main character。 I also loved how the writing style was straight-forward but detailed at the same time。 Even though this story is fictional， the things Dana sees and experiences feel real because they did happen to countless people。 Knowing that made this read heartbreaking and unforgettable。 If there is one downside， it would be that there are quite a few questions left unanswered by the end of this book。 The author obviously had a reason for this and it kept the focus on more important topics， but I still find myself wondering about the answers to those questions。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Kindred
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Kindred&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Kindred&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0