The Water Dancer: A Novel [B0974]

2020 PB in nice clean condition. From the National Book Award-winning author of Between the World and Me, a boldly conjured debut novel about a magical gift, a devastating loss, and an underground war for freedom. "This potent book about America's most disgraceful sin establishes [Ta-Nehisi Coates] as a first-rate novelist."-San Francisco Chronicle. IN DEVELOPMENT AS A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE by MGM. Young Hiram Walker was born into bondage. When his mother was sold away, Hiram was robbed of all memory of her-but was gifted with a mysterious power. Years later, when Hiram almost drowns in a river, that same power saves his life. This brush with death births an urgency in Hiram and a daring scheme: to escape from the only home he's ever known. So begins an unexpected journey that takes Hiram from the corrupt grandeur of Virginia's proud plantations to desperate guerrilla cells in the wilderness, from the coffin of the Deep South to dangerously idealistic movements in the North. Even as he's enlisted in the underground war between slavers and the enslaved, Hiram's resolve to rescue the family he left behind endures. Written by one of today's most exciting thinkers and writers, The Water Dancer is a propulsive, transcendent work that restores the humanity of those from whom everything was stolen.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Excellent, Enthralling and Educational. I loved the prose and character development. But the deeply moving perspective from a slave made me rethink so much. So much, that I can't stop thinking and rethinking."; "This was outstanding! For the history of all sides. The commentary on freedom - how it's not exactly what we think. The commentary of family, duty, motive. Just so many things. The importance of our stories (ours and our ancestors) and they not only shape us but propel us forward in life, especially in hardship. And Ms. Harriett Tubman. Not the main character and yet so crucial, just as she was in real life. Mr. Coates I applaud you!"; "This is the first book I've read by Ta-Nehisi Coates, and it wasn't until I finished it that I discovered it was his debut fiction novel - I'm normally a really quick reader and found that this is one of those stories that needs time. The writing style is eloquent and I truly felt pulled into the past, it was almost surreal. It was quite haunting, beautifully written and quite heavy. Every evening when I would read, I allowed time to sit and process (I know the characters are fictional) but there is truth to learn. I'm not sure how to convey all my thoughts, it's shameful our country's history is so deeply rooted in slavery and stolen lives."; "Touched every corner of my heart. Brother Coates has blessed us with a story of love, loss, and beauty. His capacity to transform the slave narratives was a work of art. This book reminds me of the infinite possibilities for us-the descendants of American slavery."