Kindred by Octavia E. Butler is a science fiction historical novel. The story leans far more into historical fiction than science fiction. I would compare it to Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, since both stories use time travel but are ultimately more focused on their historical settings.
The basic plot is that on Dana’s 26th birthday she is magically sent back to 1800s America to save her heir. Dana is Black, while her heir is white, and she must repeatedly save him to ensure her own existence. To him she is almost an angel, but to everyone else she is treated as a slave.
The book takes a hard look at the atrocities committed against enslaved people in America. Butler holds nothing back. It is an unflinching portrayal of what slavery was really like. You cannot help but empathize with the enslaved people as they plot escape and cling to hope. You keep wishing the white slave owners would wake up one day and treat other human beings with decency and humanity.
The novel also explores interracial relationships both in the 1800s and in the story’s present day of 1976. In both time periods, the relationships are frowned upon by family and society. For a moment I thought the story was setting up a hidden love story, but it quickly becomes clear that is not the case.
The story is a heartbreaking examination of the power dynamic between enslaved people and slave owners. The enslaved fear the owners, while the owners rule through fear because they constantly worry about rebellion. The owners are also terrified of education, afraid that enslaved people could surpass them intellectually.
The novel’s opening is one of the best I have read. It immediately tells the reader they are in for a ride. The time travel starts quickly, and the story wastes very little time getting going. The pace slows somewhat in the middle, but that slower section allows Butler to focus heavily on character development.
The novel also has interesting twists involving how the time travel works, when Dana can leave, and who she can bring back with her. The ending is horrifying and will stick with me for a long time.
Kindred was first published on June 1, 1979.
Why did I read Kindred by Octavia E. Butler?
Kindred was my second “Wifely Pick,” where my wife chooses a book for me to read. Last month she picked I, Medusa, a book she wanted to read herself. This month she picked Kindred, a book she has already read and loved.
We have been married for four years this month and together for over seven years. On our very first date we talked about books, and Kindred was one of the books she brought up. So it felt special to finally finish one of my wife’s favorite and most memorable books during the month of our wedding anniversary.
I was somewhat familiar with the story before reading it because I had watched the first and only season of the Kindred TV adaptation on Hulu. Thankfully, the show only covers around 40% of the novel, so most of the book still felt fresh to me.
Plot Summary:
In June of 1976, Dana has just turned 26. She is about to go out with her husband to meet friends when she suddenly feels faint. She collapses to the floor and wakes up in the dirt in another time and place.
She sees a young redheaded white boy drowning in a river. Dana rushes in to save him, pulling him from the water and performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Moments later, the boy’s mother violently pulls Dana away after seeing their lips touch. Before Dana can fully explain that she saved him, the boy’s father is pointing a gun at her face.
As the trigger is about to be pulled, Dana suddenly returns home to 1976 beside her husband. He claims she disappeared and reappeared only seconds later. Before she can process what happened, she is pulled back again.
This time the boy is older, and Dana learns he is not just any boy but a distant ancestor from the 1800s. Something keeps putting his life in danger, and Dana must keep him alive long enough to ensure her own lineage and survival.
What I Liked:
The relationship between Dana and her husband Kevin is fascinating. It contrasts heavily with the relationship between Rufus and Alice in the 1800s. Dana and Kevin’s relationship feels genuinely built on love, trust, and partnership.
The most heartbreaking scene for me involved the enslaved children pretending to be slave traders and overseers while playing. That moment nearly made me tear up because it felt so painfully real. Children imitate the world they grow up in.
The opening scene was fantastic. Throwing the reader into a future moment immediately lets you know this story will have real consequences and become genuinely frightening.
The ending is terrifying and incredibly tense. Two characters have finally reached their breaking point, and watching their ideals clash without either backing down is deeply unsettling.
I found the psychology between enslaved people and slave owners fascinating. It is a constant give-and-take relationship where the enslaved are forced to give everything while the owners slowly lose their humanity.
What I Disliked:
There is a moment where Kevin spends too much time complaining and feeling sorry for himself. I understand he has gone through a lot, but Dana has endured just as much if not more. That section frustrated me.
I wanted to see more moments where Rufus seriously questioned the society he was raised in. I know the environment shaped him, but I would have liked to see Dana’s influence affect him a little more deeply.
Recommendations:
Kindred is a powerful examination of slavery, ancestry, and survival. Butler takes an unflinching look at the relationships between enslaved people and their owners, while also examining interracial marriage in 1976.
Kindred is a frequently banned book due to its depictions of slavery and sexual assault, but it is also a common book club selection because there is so much to discuss and debate within its pages.
Kindred is an easy book to read stylistically, but emotionally it is difficult to stomach. I recommend reading Kindred for a better understanding of America’s often brutal history. The novel shows how far society has come while also reminding readers there is still work left to do, especially regarding race and equality.
Rating:
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
5 out of 5
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