{"id":38225,"date":"2020-08-17T22:41:41","date_gmt":"2020-08-18T02:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=38225"},"modified":"2020-08-17T22:41:41","modified_gmt":"2020-08-18T02:41:41","slug":"review-of-the-water-dancer-by-ta-nehisi-coates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=38225","title":{"rendered":"Review of The Water Dancer, by Ta-Nehisi Coates"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The Water Dancer<\/em><\/p>\n

by Ta-Nehisi Coates
\nread by John Morton<\/p>\n

Random House Audio, 2019. 14 hours, 14 minutes.
\nReview written August 10, 2020, from a library eaudiobook
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

With regular library audiobooks, I confess, if it\u2019s due and I have almost finished listening, sometimes I do renew to get a little more time. But I listened to this book on eaudiobook. I knew there were several holds. So I ended up staying up until 3 am to finish listening. <\/p>\n

The story is mesmerizing, and John Morton\u2019s wonderful deep voice brings it to life. It\u2019s the story of Hiram, one of the \u201ctasked\u201d on a Virginia plantation before the Civil War. His father is the plantation owner, but his mother got sold further south when he was very young. But he\u2019s found favor with his father and has been made the personal servant of his half-brother.<\/p>\n

As the book opens, something strange happens involving a blue light and a river and the road they are taking disappearing. Hiram\u2019s white brother drowns, which changes things for Hiram. Listeners learn about his life growing up on the plantation, the struggles the \u201cquality\u201d are having as tobacco uses up the Virginia soil, and Hiram\u2019s growing desire for freedom.<\/p>\n

Eventually, it becomes apparent that Hiram has some otherworldly powers, but doesn\u2019t know how to harness them. He becomes involved in the underground, and even meets Harriet Tubman, who can powerfully wield \u201cconduction\u201d herself.<\/p>\n

I was tempted to speed up the audio as I finished so I wouldn\u2019t have to stay up until 3 am after all, but the narrator\u2019s deep, rich voice has a meditative quality to it, and speeding it up ruined the peace I felt from listening to it. And it was totally worth the lack of sleep.<\/p>\n

This is a powerful story which looks at history from a new angle.<\/p>\n

ta-nahesicoates.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Fiction\/water_dancer.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on an eaudiobook from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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