By Jocelyn Sanchez
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Octavia E. Butler was an African-American author born in June 1947. She was known as “The Great Dame of Science Fiction.” Butler studied at various schools such as Pasadena City Community College and California State University of Los Angeles. Her studies led to her success in the world of science fiction.
The first published story by Butler was Crossover in 1971. However, it wasn’t until 1979, when her book Kindred was published, that Butler was able to support herself as a full-time writer. Butler earned many awards such as the Creative Arts Award and the Nebula Award for some of her other work such as Fledgling, Dawn, and Lillith’s Brood.
She died in February 2006, but lives on through the legacy she left for the literary community.
Written in 1979, Kindred is a 264-page novel. The story follows Dana and her husband, who have just moved into a new home together. One day, Dana starts to feel sick, passes out, and wakes up to find her home and husband gone. She awakes not only by a river, but has awoken in the nineteenth century, which was considered dangerous for black women like Dana. Dana is now stuck trying to find her balance between safety and trying to find her way back home. According to Book & A Cuppa’s blogspot, this novel receives a 5/5 star rating and “Kindred is a powerful and memorable novel that deserves to be widely read” (Book & A Cuppa Blogspot).
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