Year 3, week 51: The Water Dancer / Between the World and Me

 Two books this week by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

The Water Dancer
By Ta-Nehisi Coates

This is another book for my book group. I listened to this back in January so that I could pass along my copy of the book to other members of my book group. 

This is the author's first try at fiction. That being said, it's a very historical fiction. Unfortunately, this novel was the second novel about this time in history that America had slavery that I read back to back, which made this a struggle to get through. January was also a rough time in our house because we were trying to figure out what was going on with our eldest child’s medication for his ADHD. 

I struggled with this novel being historical fiction, and I don't want to say supernatural or fantasy, but I don't have other words to use, while discussing the underground railroad. One of the main characters in the novel meets Harriet Tubman, which as you know was a very successful underground railway conductor, who due to her major head injury and her faith, always had feelings and felt she had messages of which path she could get people out of slavery. Her messages could be a form of supernatural, kind of like how the main character is gifted. 

The book was well written and it was picked for Oprah's book club, but I feel like I should reread it at some point because I may have not read it at the right time in my life to truly appreciate it. 

Between the World and Me
By Ta-Nehisi Coates

This is another book by Coates. This book was on a lot of lists after the death of George Floyd for people to understand racism or try to understand what being a person of color is like. 

The author writes the book as a letter to his son. The book is kind of an autobiography of being an African American male, from his life in poorer neighborhoods in the 1980's and 90's and some time at Howard University. It is very beautifully written and really paints a picture. I ordered the book from a bookstore that is independently owned by an African American woman, and I was glad to support her business, but it was a really quick read and they only had it in hard back so it was a little over priced to be completely honest. 

I would recommend the book if you are just now trying to dip your toe into learning about POC or some of the terrible and unjust issues that they are faced with everyday.