Challenge Corner discussion

The first science fiction written by a black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of black American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity. Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she’s been given: to protect this young slaveholder until he can father her own great-grandmother.

I ordered this book from my library and should have it soon.

I’ve read it this year and loved it!

My book is now at the library, so I just need to pick it up.

Great! I'll be reading this book very soon.

Is anyone ready to start this one? I have my book. :)

I have it ready to read this weekend!

That's great, Claire! I am currently working on The Odyssey, but it's my husband's two days off (today & tomorrow) so it's a slow go, I'm sure. I want to start this one today, if possible.

Vicki wrote: "That's great, Claire! I am currently working on The Odyssey, but it's my husband's two days off (today & tomorrow) so it's a slow go, I'm sure. I want to start this one today, if possible."

Now I am such a distracted person. Really thought the whole time we were reading Dawn. Can’t figure out why:-(
I have read Kindred earlier this year:-)

Oh, Claire, no wonder I like you so much! We're two peas in a pod! LOL

I was really happy to learn that this book is written by an African American woman and that this book is pivotal in African American literature. I've always had a special interest in African American history and literature. So this being the very first science fiction book ever written by an African American woman is exciting to me and really gave me the impetus to dig in!

The River
The start of the book...omg...when she talks about her (view spoiler)[arm blew me away and made me want to know immediately what and how it happened!

Rufus is so cute. lol I love how (view spoiler)[their relationship has built. It makes it even more special knowing that the time she goes back to is 1815 and their conversation makes so much sense. He would expect her to talk to him as though he is superior, but she's from 1976 and that makes her insight far different. But just that he's so young and white and she's an adult and black makes for a good read. (hide spoiler)]

Rufus's father (view spoiler)[sounds like a mean SOB! (hide spoiler)] I'm sure we'll hear more about him. The fire incident also makes (view spoiler)[sense in a way because the boy has obviously been brutalized by his dad from beatings, so understand why he'd act out like that. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

The Fall

My goodness! I can't even imagine going (view spoiler)[back in time to an era where I was loathed, beaten, demeaned, treated as a subhuman, etc. (hide spoiler)]

Kevin worries me a little bit. I hope he isn't becoming complacent and buying into that society and time's viewpoints on black people.

Dana is really strong! I like how she (view spoiler)[is able to "play the part" so carefully, but I am very upset that the creep beat her so badly. I hope Kevin comes to her rescue. (hide spoiler)]

Margaret (view spoiler)[ugh...what an awful woman! If it was she that got her husband to sell that one slave's children, I like to see her whipped! (hide spoiler)]

The Fight

It's so weird to think that someone (Dana) could (view spoiler)[go back to the 1800's, meet up with Rufus again, and go back to her home in 1976 and have been gone only "seconds" and yet in back in history she was gone hours and months (hide spoiler)]

I felt bad that (view spoiler)[Luke was sold. (hide spoiler)]

I really hope that Dana sees (view spoiler)[Kevin again. That would make me upset if they don't get together. (hide spoiler)]

I love all of the allusions in this section! One of my favorite literary devices is the use of allusions...IF I know their references. lol

One more thing I wanted to add just FYI, I lived in both Pasadena and Altadena. My dad owned a few beauty salons and a beauty supply store in Pasadena right on Colorado St. where the Rose Parade takes place, so the mention of those two cities was nice for me. :)

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RESTARTING NOVEMBER 19TH, 2020

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The Fire - Chapter 6 (view spoiler)[ She kind of figured out why she travels in time to save Rufus somehow, but I'm still wondering how. And I feel so scared for her when she's in 1815, because things were so horrible back then. I've heard people saying there are some really hard parts to read in this book, and I don't know if I'm ready for them, but I'm so curious to know how this whole thing is going to end that I can't stop reading! (hide spoiler)]

starting this today!

The Fall (view spoiler)[ When she said how easy people were conditioned to accept slavery made me think of Kevin, because he being white could find things to like about that reality. I hope he doesn't like it too much back there, and I also hope he was able to go back with her, because if he stayed behind, I'm pretty sure that way of living will get over his head. (hide spoiler)]

The Fight (view spoiler)[ Rufus grew up to be such a horrible person. I know the enviroment he lives in plays a big part on what he became, but it's still hard to accept what he turned out go be even after meeting Dana. I hope she was able to bring Kevin with her this time. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ So many things happened in these final parts, but I think they happened too fast, specially reaching the end. I also wanted it to have a better explanation on why and how she traveled in time. Besides that, I think it's a very important book and all the topics it raises here are worth of discussion until this day (and this book was published in 1979!). (hide spoiler)]

The River (view spoiler)[ i like the concept a lot! is it really time travel or something more like passed down memories? (hide spoiler)]

Tayane wrote: "The Fire - Chapter 6 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ the whipping scene was disturbing to read about!
and rufus really s getting her into a ton of trouble! i'm interested to know how exactly he manages to call for her (hide spoiler)]

Tayane wrote: "The Fall [spoilers removed]"

i do feel like he is destined to stay back since they were not together when she was called back... also interested in finding out how Kevin is going to find his way in the past

Tayane wrote: "The Fight [spoilers removed]"

i agree! Kevin has become such a brat! and the way he behaves around female slaves is straight up scary!

Isabel wrote: "Tayane wrote: "The Fire - Chapter 6 [spoilers removed]"

the whipping scene was disturbing to read about!
and rufus really s getting her into a ton of trouble! i'm interested to know how exactly ..."

(view spoiler)[ Yeah, it was so hard. (hide spoiler)]

Isabel wrote: "Tayane wrote: "The Fight [spoilers removed]"

i agree! Kevin has become such a brat! and the way he behaves around female slaves is straight up scary!"

(view spoiler)[ I believe living in that time when you're white, can make you blind over some things as time passes, you need to remember yourself everyday how horrible that all is so you don't just accept things. (hide spoiler)]

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RESTARTING FEBRUARY 9TH, 2023

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Started!
The fire chapter 2: we are thrown in the midst of the action, and I like it! (view spoiler)[It is interesting how Dana sees Rufus, he is nice enough for now, but I wonder how bel'll grow up!
The chapter division is confusing though... (hide spoiler)]

The fall: (view spoiler)[The way Dana travels through time is interesting, but really difficult to actually manipulate and choose. I was betting Kevin would get stranded! (hide spoiler)]

The fight: (view spoiler)[Rufus has become really terrible, I was hoping better from him... :( (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Well, I guess Rufus really deserved what he got. Very sad about all the slaves though! :( And Alice, not sure what to think about her. There is certainly the all discussion about 'betraying your race' etch, that was extremely interesting and well done, but I really did not like how Alice spoke to Dana...
The ending was also somewhat anticlimactic ro some degree...
I didn't love the fact that she stayed in her time much longer, but less time had passed in the past. It was needlessly incongrous to how it had worked before, but then maybe it was to ensure she had had time to recover, otherwise it would have seem less likely that she could have helped... Not sure about that... (hide spoiler)]