I have been a fan of Mr. Coates ever since I read "Between the World and Me" and was very excited to learn he was delving into fiction. I knew it would most likely be a good story, but I was not prepared for the myriad of feelings I would experience while reading. The Water Dancer is a powerful novel, one that I feel should be discussed in English and Literature classes everywhere.

Mr. Coates' novel does not speak of slavery in the ways we've all grown accustomed. No, he uses more subtle language about the "Demon" slavery was. But the subtlety does not make the telling any less difficult to read.nor does it exonerate the perpetrators of that horror. Instead, Mr. Coates uses his love of the word to express how the characters in the story felt while enslaved, and what they would do to get out. I have no less than 30 or 40 pages that I have highlighted because I came across a passage that moved me.

I implore anyone who reads this review to read The Water Dancer and really sit with it. Let the words wash over you, take notes, bookmark pages. Then when you're done, read it again. I plan to purchase this book and keep it in my library to be read again and again.

Coates is the kind of writer who changes the way you view both language and the world. This novel is no exception. I can't wait for it to hit shelves and find readers.

They told him he was family. They told him to watch over his brother and gave him nicer clothes, manners and filled his head with knowledge. But what they gave, they took away more - his real family and his memory of her. This beautifully constructed and written book is a song of slavery itself - the brutality, the brainwashing and worst of all the stripping of all humanity until only an obedient husk remains. Hiram Walker has the gift of visions and power but it has been beaten down so often by the Quality that the Tasked cannot hope to fill up what has been taken. It will take an amazing journey and a reawakening in a new Northern world and that of the Underground to fully understand what he has lost and what he can now give to others. Ta-Nehisi Coates shares this story in many ways - a quiet whisper, an anguished cry, and gut-wrenching sob and it is the most powerful voice you will hear this year. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

The existence of the Underground Railroad from the South to the North during the 1800’s has always been mysterious. While such a dangerous pathway to freedom for slaves clearly existed, there appears to be a great deal of romantic mysticism that swirls around this part of history that, unfortunately, is not even alluded to in classrooms. In an interweaving of fact and fantasy reminiscent of Colin Whitehead’s novel, this is the often brutal and occasionally magical tale of Hiram and his induction into the machinations of the Underground. Hiram’s experiences are detailed in depth, sometimes making the story longer and less impactful. Despite this, I feel as though I have been given another glimpse into a culture which - like the Underground Railroad - carries a plethora of rich and multi-faceted facts and fantasy, truth and myths which have not been shared before.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc for review. This has not influenced my opinion.
I loved Between the World and Me, and was thrilled to hear that Coates was writing a novel, however, the magical realism aspect of the novel ended up leaving me cold. I enjoyed the exploration of slavery through the eyes of Hiram, an enslaved man, from both the fields and the house - not just from the dual tasking perspectives but because it wasn't the usual white saviour drivel.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys both historical fiction and magical realism - if you don't like magical realism, I doubt this will be for you.

I enjoyed this debut novel from Ta-Nehisi Coates. I am very familiar with his essays and nonfiction work and was very much looking forward to his fiction and it did not disappoint. Yes, it is historical fiction (with some twists) but it is never dry or boring. I really enjoyed how he played with what it means to be "owned" and "tasked" and how sometimes freedom isn't really so free. Sometimes you free yourself from one situation, just to be trapped in another. I did think the beginning was a little slow and I had trouble really getting into it at first, but once I hit the 25% mark the book really took off for me and I found it very engrossing.

If you've read his non fiction than you know what a powerfully this author writes. I was so curious about his first first foray into fiction. Would it be as good, as powerful? For me the answer is yes.

This is a vividly portrayed and imaginative slave narrative. It takes place mostly in Virginia at a plantation called Lockless. Hiram is our narrator, he remembers little of his mother and he is the black son of the plantation owner. He also possesses a remarkable memory, and another unusual talent, which I will not explain in this review. The life and brutality of the slave life is powerfully portrayed, the daily losses, the death of self.

The slaves are called the tasked, and they yearn for connection, for freedom. Freedom takes an unusual turn here, and a little magical realism or substitution is employed. The characters, so many, even some of the quality are involved in the intense struggle for freedom. He also doesn't forget to mention all the disenfranchised, those yearning for a freedom not willing not given to them.

A truly remarkable first novel, wonderful characters, steady pacing and s little something different that sets it apart.

ARC from Netgalley.

"The Water Dancer" by Ta-Nehisi Coates will definitely be considered one of the best novels of 2019. It is absolutely brilliant. The writing is exquisite and every sentence paints a vivid picture. This is not a book to be rushed-it is a book to be read slowly so as to savor every line. This is a book that will stay with me -one that I will be compelled to read again and again.

As the son of a slave and her owner, Hiram straddled the two worlds, but had no real freedom of his own. He had no memory of his mother, who was sold when he was quite young, but an incredible talent to remember everything else. After almost drowning in the river, Hiram emerged a different man. He also discovered that he possessed another amazing talent, the power of Conduction. What followed is a magical story of escape, capture, The Underground, a homecoming, and love. This is a story about the evils of slavery, but also of the power of our memories and how they can shape and change us.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Random House One World, and Ta-Nehisi Coates for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this amazing novel. The hype surrounding this book is very real-it is a must-read for everyone!

This book just wasn’t for me. I had a very hard time following & perpetually found myself losing interest after only a few pages. It moved very slowly & felt much longer than it actually was. Magical realism is a struggle for me since I’m an easily distracted reader. I often feel like I’ve missed something major every time my attention drifts. I admire that Coates tried to bring something new to a period of history that’s already been written about frequently, but in the end it fell way under my expectations.

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ first novel is an unforgettable tale of the horrific ravages of slavery and the deep bonds of “family”. Through a strong use of symbolism we follow the life of Hiram “Hi” as he grows into adulthood while barely navigating life on a Southern Antebellum plantation. How one’s family is defined and the allegiances one makes in life are all put into question for the reader. Nothing is predictable, yet most everything seems plausible.

At times it is a difficult book to read due to the magical realism woven throughout the story. I found myself needing to re-read many passages to fully comprehend the author’s complex descriptions. Despite that it is a beautifully written book and I anticipate the images in my mind with be there to haunt me for a very long time.

This is a book on slavery, different than any I’ve ever read… and so beautiful! Hiram Walker is one of the tasked—son of a tasking woman and their enslaver. He is gifted with a perfect memory beginning after his mother is sold away—but those earlier memories are locked away from him. Because of his gifts (and parentage) he is elevated and educated so that he may be the right hand of his older half brother and heir to the plantation, but an accident disrupts everyone’s plans and Hi’s other gift emerges. This is a perceptive look at the lives of the enslaved and their owners in the late 1850s as the tobacco crops dried up in Virginia, as well as the ideals and methods of the Underground Railroad. But there are also moving characters and a touch of magic, all connected by beautiful writing. Everyone should read this!

Simply deep, thought provoking, beautiful writing. This book reads very slow, not because you are slugging through, but because it is character driven and full of symbolism and nuances. A different look at slavery, through the eyes of a biracial slave/family member. Simply stunning and should be put on your historical fiction read list.

The Water Dancer
Book Review | 📚📚📚📚 4/5
Ta-Nehisi Coates (writer) | Random House Publishing Group

A master author for our generation, Ta-Nehisi Coates, known for his non-fiction, essays and graphic novels, writes his first novel.

Why I was interested in this book:
I have read previous works of Coates and am a fan. The description for The Water Dancer reminded me of other historic fiction books I’ve read recently that intermix stories of slavery, what defines family, magical realism and heroism. From one of the authors of the Black Panther stories, it sounded like the potential for a powerful tale.

My assessment:
While reading The Water Dancer, my emotions were like a roller coaster on a rickety ole ride. I was excited about digging into the story. Half way through, my mind made comparisons to other similarly-themed books. Then the magic started and my interest really started to climb. The last quarter of the book moved quickly, but didn’t match my expectations for a powerful, grit ending. I’ve always been told that to hold expectations is to set oneself up for disappointment. When everything I’ve previously read by Coates is a solid 5 out of 5 stars, why shouldn’t I expect similar greatness? A solid 4 out of 5 stars is equally awesome. The story was powerful. And it was unique in how it was told. And it truly added new character dimensions. It just didn’t land with both feet squarely on the ground. And I’m not sure why I’m using a sports metaphor. Did it help articulate how I felt?

Stories of the human condition:
In terms of a story of the human condition, Coates’ The Water Dancer is a solid 5 out of 5. The people in the book were dynamic. And what you first saw is not what you always got. Personally, the middle section of the book really gave me a new understanding and empathy of a culture (slavery), I don’t know enough about, but feel it is extremely important to learn.

I do strongly recommend reading The Water Dancer, and I look forward to reading his next novel.

Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review. I definitely would have picked up this book once it was made available to the public, and am glad to have read it.

For more of my reviews, please visit Tuggle Grass Reviews (https://tugglegrassblues.wordpress.com).

TAGS:
#WaterDancer #review-book #book review #Novel #RandomHouse #TaNehisiCoates #TuggleGrassBlues #Tuggle Grass Reviews #TuggleGrassReviews #NetGalley

This beautifully written novel is a powerful account of slavery, the decline of the Virginia plantation economy prior to the Civil War, and the strength of the yearning for freedom. Hiram Walker is the young son of a plantation owner and a slave mother who was sold away from him when he was a child. Blessed with a strong memory and growing magical powers, nonetheless Hi cannot remember his mother, and will be unable to use his powers successfully until he does. Eventually he escapes and ends up in Philadelphia with folks who are instrumental in the Underground Railroad, including "Moses," or Harriet Tubman. The survival skills and heartbreaking decisions required for Hi to rescue the people he cares most about from their Virginia bondage make for a suspenseful and thought-provoking story. The slave's point of view is described with nuance and eye-opening clarity.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was a creative first novel. I loved the magic realism and the story. Great character development had me invested in the characters as well as the parallels with our own terrible history. I would recommend this book to everyone.

An extremely powerful story about slavery, freedom, memory, love, fear, respect. The words Coates chooses to define and describe are powerful and intriguing.

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 utopic 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.

If you have never read Ta-Nehisi Coates, get yourself one of his books right now! Coates has a powerful way with the English language. This is the first fiction book by Coates, and Coates released from the confines of describing real life is a wonder to behold. This is a beautiful book about the power of family and the bonds of family through the ages of time, told through the lens of slavery.

Virginia, 1800s.

Hiram Walker, or known just as 'Hi', was born into bondage. His mother was sold away when he was 9, and he had pushed his 'memory of her into the "down there" of his mind. His memories of her were mostly of her water-dancing, with an earthen jar on her head, patting juba on a bridge.

It was this very memory, so vivid, so clear and strong, that saved his life. It was later too that this memory saved his life again, and then he began to realize, he had, inside him, a power that could take him away, far away from the only home he had ever known, and way up to the North where freedom is real.

With power, comes responsibility. What will he do with such immense power? Escape? Save his loved ones? Do they want to be saved? Do they want to leave what had been so familiar to them?

Thus began a journey of discovery of one self, of fear and strength, of sadness and triumphs, of loss and love and of all, of the power of the mind.

This started a little slow for me and it didn't help the fact that many characters were introduced too. I got a little worried because I really wanted to like this book. But that didn't last long.

As I got invested in the characters which Coates developed so well, it was hard for me to extricate myself from their world. He made me part of their journey; part of Lockless and Underground.

As I got deeper into the story, the layers of each character slowly peeled away revealing their deepest thoughts and emotions, I felt closer to them.

I understood why for some, it was so hard to leave their only 'home' they'd known all their lives, and be freed from the invisible chain that had held them for years; and why for some others, were willing to risk it all in exchange for freedom and/or power, even if it meant betraying their own family and people.

I also loved reading Hiram's journey to self-discovery. How, with each step of the way, he learned that he had to conquer his fear and painful past, in order to release that power that he had in him. The Conduction.

I also want to mention the strength of the women in this novel. Wow. There were, of course, Harriet Tubman, whose influence and power and sacrifice need no mention, what she did was beyond words; Sophia, Thena and Corrine. I was in awe of their strength, wisdom, intelligence, and their determination to survive.

What I didn't get though, is why the magical powers for Harriet Tubman? It made all her effort sound so 'easy'. What she did was no magic trick. I'm still not sure if I liked that part. I'm sure Coates has the utmost respect for her. So there must be a reason why he did that. Probably to tie in with the magical element of this book? But can't it be left out?

Overall, still a great, absorbing, powerful read!

Thank you Netgalley and Random Publishing House for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I've read a lot of Coates' work, from "Between the World and Me" to his new series of the Black Panther comics. I had high hopes for his first novel, but unfortunately this fell short for me. Coates' writing is luscious, and he has a sublime ability to describe feelings and scenes. But I had some major problems with this story. First, it seemed to almost...romanticize slavery? Brutality was mentioned in passing, but the actual scenes with enslaved people were very much about home (the main character thinks longingly of his time as a slave). Not that I needed many scenes with intense violence, but I could see people reading this and thinking "see, slavery wasn't that bad."

I also didn't like that Harriet Tubman's abilities were explained with magic - that woman was incredible, and I think her amazing achievements are actually diminished when magic is added in - she did everything she did WITHOUT magic!

(Thanks to NetGalley, which kindly provided an ARC of The Water Dancer in exchange for an honest review. Coincidentally, as I finished this review, I discovered, to my happy surprise, that I am also the winner of a Goodreads giveaway for this book! Grateful appreciation to Goodreads.)

The Water Dancer, a moving and original historical fiction novel infused with elements of magical realism, is the debut novel of acclaimed essayist and author of Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates. The story, set in antebellum Virginia, chronicles the life of Hiram “Hi” Walker, son of Rose, a slave, and her white master, Howell Walker. Born one of the “Tasked,” the enslaved, and effectively orphaned at a young age when his mother is sold, young Hi is haunted by shadowy recollections of his mother, despite possessing an otherwise phenomenal memory. Hi’s alacritousness eventually catches the attention of Howell Walker, who elevates his son from fieldhand to a life in the big Lockless house. There, Hi receives an education and becomes manservant to his half-brother, the witless Maynard. Subsequently, a freak, near-death accident reveals a hidden power to Hi: when he touches water, he is able to “Conduct” or magically bridge “the land of the living and the land of the lost.” As the narrative unfolds, Hi’s life becomes intertwined with Underground Railroad activism, providing him with an opportunity to free both himself and others from the spectres of slavery and oppression. Coates, a gifted and imaginative writer, develops psychologically-complex characters and weaves a spellbinding, gripping story with literary merit. Highly recommended for teenage readers and up.