My second reading was even better than the first. One of Octavia Butler's best works of some really stellar stuff. Probably the best if not only way a modern person can close to understand the horror and contradictions of slavery. Impossible to put down.

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I've never read a book about time travel. I have read about slavery before. This book combined the two and it was fantastic! There are also discussion questions at the end to make you ponder even more.

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I couldn't put this book down. A cross between science fiction and black history, it crosses from 1976 to the early 1800's and back again and perfectly parallels a black woman's life between the periods. Highly recommended reading!

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Science-fiction meets slavery in the antibellum south? I know its crazy but this is one of the most creative and gripping books I have ever read. I started reading while my son was taking his afternoon nap on a Saturday and finished it Sunday night. Yeah, its that good. Dana is a young, black woman living in the 1970's with her white husband, Kevin. While they are unpacking boxes in their new home, she's suddenly transported to a plantation in South Carolina where she must carefully interact with the masters and slaves in order to survive. You gotta read this book and you'll understand exactly why its been celebrated for over 25 years.

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An amazing and believable blend of history, time travel and interacial relationships. Don't miss this one--highly recommended!

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* * * * 1/2* Black literature. A black woman gets pulled back in time by a young white boy to the Antebellum South. There she must figure out how to survive the time of racism and slavery and a racist era and how to return to current times.

The concept was unique and the characters believable, and the ending ... the ending!

The only slight(!) dislike was the author's style of writing at the beginning. However, as the story progressed, the writing flowed easily.

As I was reading, I was already easily rating this book 4 stars. However, once I finished, it was elevated to 4.5.

Given the subject matter, some scenes may be too painful to read. Check your trigger warnings.

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A book that was written in 1979, but is still relevant today. I know it's listed as Science Fiction, but it's really more than that. Time Travel aside, it's a story of the beginnings of a family, a black woman finding her white ancestors from centuries ago, and her relationship with them, as well as with her white husband.

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Certainly a different kind of time-travel book, and for a 70+ yo white man, a grim glimpse into slavery in the US. Lots of questions about why Dana did or didn't do this or that (like bring more useful items with her into the past); but all in all it was a compelling read. Wish the author had created a family tree and that we'd been given more information about the fate of some characters.

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enjoyed this book, It was well written and grabed me from chapter one, I could not put it down. great read.

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