Kindred by Octavia Butler

I am never going to swim to Alcatraz, because I am a devoted yoga girl. I am never going to play beer pong, because I like Chardonnay. And I'm not going to go vegan, because I do enjoy the occasional slice of crispy bacon. So there are some challenges I'm not going to accept. However, a few weeks ago my friend Janice said, "I want someone else to read the book Kindred so we can talk about it." Challenge accepted. I ordered this book up from my library and was so surprised it was nearly nearly 45 years old. Billed as one of the first science fiction books written by a black woman, who combines slave memoir, time travel and historical fiction into a story you won't want to miss. The tale begins in California in 1976, where Dana, who is black, is newly married to Kevin, who is white. She is in her house when suddenly, her body and mind, are blasted back to antebellum Maryland. She sees a young white boy drowning, and is able to save him, only to find herself staring into the barrel of a shot gun. Her journey back and forth between California in the 20th century, and Maryland in the 19th century, sends Dana and her husband on a perilous journey, exploring differences in race, gender and class. For those who say time travel books are not my jam, I dare you to read "Kindred" and not be on the edge of your seat. Thank you Janice for the book challenge. We did meet to talk about the tale, and we are now looking forward to seeing the new series based on the book now streaming on Hulu. To buy this book on Amazon click here.