Kindred, by Octavia Butler

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler is a science fiction novel that follows Dana, a 26-year-old Black woman living in 1970s California, who is suddenly pulled back in time to the antebellum South. There, she meets a white boy named Rufus, whom she must protect to ensure her own future. As Dana is drawn back and forth through time, she confronts the brutal realities of slavery and the emotional toll of surviving in two very different worlds.

People who enjoy science fiction would appreciate Kindred because it involves time travel between two very different time periods—Dana’s life in the 1970s and the era of slavery in the antebellum South. I felt shocked reading about how deeply depressing and harsh slavery was for people of color. The themes of power and race are central to the story and really stood out to me. It was also eye-opening to see how interracial couples were viewed back then—and how those biases still exist today. 

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 12

Glendale Central Library