Kindred

The groundbreaking masterpiece by Octavia E. Butler, which explores themes of power and responsibility in 1979, is a must-read for fans of The Handmaid's Tale, The Power, and Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing. Featuring an original foreword by Aybmi Adby, this work is recognized as one of the most significant literary contributions of the 20th century, as noted by Junot Diaz. The New York Times describes Butler's compelling and often unsettling novels as explorations of race, sex, power, and what it means to be human.

In 1976, Dana dreams of becoming a writer, but in 1815, she is seen as a slave. When Dana first encounters Rufus on a plantation in Maryland, he is drowning, and she saves his life. This event repeats itself, with neither of them understanding that he has the power to summon her whenever his life is in danger, nor the significance of the bond that connects them. Each time Dana saves him, she becomes increasingly aware that her own life could end before it truly begins.

Butler's extraordinary story of two people connected by blood and separated by time has resonated with readers. Comments include: "It was written in 1979, but could have been written last year. Incredible. I couldn't put it down," and "We are the narrator - we see the injustice and humiliation of slavery not through the eyes of a slave, but through our modern eyes, which makes it all the more powerful." Readers describe it as "emotional and viscerally alive and challenging," expressing their astonishment at having missed it before.