To say that Ta-Nehisi Coates has a way with words would be an understatement. He is acclaimed for contributing to countless magazines and newspapers, written celebrated collections of non-fiction, and won the National Book Award for his book Between the World and Me. Coates has even been awarded the MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant" for his writing. I first became aware of the author when a friend shared a clip of Coates speaking about the idea of reparations for enslaved people at a US House committee hearing. The eloquence and thoughtfulness with which he spoke really captured my spirit and inspired me to seek out his writing. An interview with Coates and Oprah for her book club on Apple TV+ narrowed down my selection to The Water Dancer. For anyone who has encountered the words of Coates, it should come as no surprise that his first work of fiction is the kind of transformational, visionary writing that only the greatest authors dare to achieve.What immediately struck me as I began reading the book was Coates's powerful use of language and description to transport the reader to a specific time and place. To borrow from his own writing, he used, "...words with their own shape, rhythm, and color, words that were pictures themselves." Be warned, this kind of highly pictorial prose takes a bit of getting used to. The first paragraph alone is but one long sentence that establishes time, place, character, and mood. This is not the kind of writing that you casually pick up during brief breaks while working from home. I found that I had to commit to reading for hours at a time, letting myself become immersed in the words, falling into the rhythm of the syntax. Don't let this deter you from giving The Water Dancer a chance. Once I was fully immersed in the language, I was entranced by the spell that it cast upon me.
The novel focuses on Hiram "Hi" Walker, a young man enslaved at the Lockless plantation in Elm County, Virginia. The boy has a gift with memory, a skill that first earns the delight of the fellow enslaved and later that of the white people who own the land. Hi remembers everything. He can recall in perfect detail the exact words of an overheard conversation. This gift soon sees him invited to join a higher rank of enslaved people within the main house. Hi's father is the White owner of the Lockless estate. He is impressed when Hi's memory entertains some of the Quality (white slave owners) at a dinner party, distracting them from their barbaric desires toward the other Tasked (enslaved people).
Despite Hi's gift of memory, there is one important recollection that evades him. His mother was sold by his father when Hi was just a young boy. He knows how the other Tasked speak of her with revere to both her beauty and kindness, but Hi does not remember her himself. Gone is the tone that she spoke to him with, the subtlety of her physical features a blur of uncertainty. "She'd gone from that warm quilt of memory to the cold library of fact."
As he grows, Hi becomes disillusioned with the fate that he is sure to encounter. He is tasked with caring for his older half-brother Maynard, the unintelligent, but the correct skin-toned heir to Lockless. Times are changing for the worse. After years of thriving tobacco output, the land of Elm County is starting to dry up. The writing is already on the wall, and the Quality is starting to panic, selling off their Tasked for whatever value will keep their withering estates afloat. A tragic event and unexplainable transportation leave Hi eager to move beyond his enslaved state. That combined with a boyhood crush that is blossoming into love leaves him with the resolution that many other enslaved people dare not seek. Hi is going to try to run.
The Water Dancer sees Ta-Nehisi Coates write about memory and the weight of memory with thoughtfulness and imagination that has kept me reeling with emotion and reflection long after turning the final page. His writing envelops you with each word, transporting you into the mind of Hiram and the world that he inhabits. Coates worked on this novel for ten years, researching and visiting the places of this history, never discounting the importance of the story he strived to tell. As such, The Water Dancer strikes a perfect balance between the historical accuracy that gives it a sense of realism with the development of its layered characters and plot. As I became engrossed in the history, I found myself unable to put the book down.
There are countless allegories layered into the novel, calling on the themes of family, racism, and systems that are put into place that disproportionately benefit one person while harming the other. Coates introduces an element of magical realism that elevates the novel's themes while not detracting from the carefully established history of the setting. Like Colson Whitehead's physical Underground Railroad in his novel of the same name, Coates uses the idea of Conduction to provide both physical and metaphorical bridges between the physical places and the memories of his characters. The description of Conduction in the novel perfectly captures my own reaction to The Water Dancer: "The jump is done by the power of the story. It pulls from our particular histories, from all our loves and all of our losses. All of that feeling is called up, and on the strength of our remembrances, we are moved."
For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2020, 16)
Just the way you describe his writing and how you had to read it remind me that I need to pick up more books that challenge me to savor and reflect and grow. It sounds like a poignant story, Ethan.
ReplyDeleteThis would be a great choice to challenge you. It was such a rewarding read!
DeleteSadly, I've never read anything by this author.
ReplyDeleteThis would be a great place to start. I'm really eager to read more from him now.
DeleteI have seen this book around but I didn't really know what it was about. This sounds like such a powerful read! I love the way that you describe his writing. Great review!
ReplyDeleteThanks! It certainly lives up to the hype.
DeleteFrom what you've included in your review, that his writing is beautiful is an understatement. I think I need to search out his shorter, smaller writing to be introduced to his writing.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder if his non-fiction is in a shorter format.
DeleteComplex, beautiful writing is definitely more of a time commitment, and there are a few authors I'm happy to carve out the time to do so. This does sound like a moving story. I'm sure it would break my heart. I feel horrible for Hi just reading your review! His father sounds like a real piece of work, and I just have to wonder how people could/can treat others like this. I hope Hi had a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely writing I was glad to have spent the time with. What I really appreciated about the book is that yes, the father is reprehensible, but you get to see kind of the societal context of why he behaved the way he did.
DeleteFantastic review! I got a bout halfway through this one a few months ago but didn't finish it. Perhaps it just wasn't the right time for me to read it. I need to finish it!!
ReplyDeleteI did have to be in the right mood for this one. I do think it is worth a second chance!
DeleteI like the way Coates included so many themes within the story - and even incorporated magical realism. It sounds like it could be a challenging read, but very worth it.
ReplyDeleteIt was such a worthy read, and really only a challenge to start. I think it may have been more that I'm used to the short, quick pace of thrillers.
DeleteI've heard great things about Coates, but I've never read anything by him. I think his books would be too heavy for me right now. Someday I'll give him a go.
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm not sure a novel about slavery is the right kind of escapism for the moment, but it definitely deserves a spot on your TBR.
DeleteWhat a lovely review. This sounds wonderful and complex. I am curious if it's on audio. Off to check!
ReplyDeleteNow that I think about it, an audio version might help get over the barrier of the language a bit faster. You'll have to let me know what you think of it!
DeleteIt looks well done and I confess that I didn't know about this one, nor the author
ReplyDeleteHe is worth a read for sure!
DeleteHe is so talented. Have you read We Were Eight Years in Power? It's a collection of both a couple essays he wrote for The Atlantic, plus several new ones written for this book. So, so powerful.
ReplyDeleteThis was my first book by him, but I'm really looking forward to reading more!
DeleteGood! I highly suggest...everything he's ever written. I wish I could move words the way he can.
DeleteI'll have to pace myself with him. His writing really challenged me!
DeleteThis sounds like an amazing book. The quote you shared and your description of the author's writing has me hooked. Placing a hold at my library. (So glad we have Overdrive services!)
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it! I'll echo your thanks for Overdrive. I don't know what I'd be doing without it right now.
DeleteThat sounds like an emotional read. All of the books I've read and the movies I've seen of slaves and that time period have been very saddening.
ReplyDeleteIt is a dark point in history, but it is very important to tell these stories.
Delete'This is not the kind of writing that you casually pick up during brief breaks while working from home' - ha, that sounds like a challenge! ;) Lol.
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness, if I had a copy I would def. attempt that, just cos you said not to ;) <3
I mean, different readers will probably be able to. I'm just not smart enough lol.
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