Book Review: The Water Dancer

The Water Dancer, by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates brings some powerful writing to evoke the abject horrors of slavery. 

His descriptions of the denial of the basic humanity and dignity to those enslaved are anguished and compelling. He doesn't just tell, but he shows their stories through a range of characters who represent the Tasked, those existing under the yoke of slavery; the Quality, the owners and their family, who perpetuate yet remain enfeebled under the system; and the Low, the vast majority of poor whites who are among its most voracious defenders because it allows them to appear to build themselves up while tearing others down.

The novel depicts a daily horror show of the trepidation, fear, and devastation of a people bought, sold, and beaten as part of a system that degrades and humiliates them and their families. Its shows how the hope of freedom elevates the meaning of the word to its truest sense -- allowing one to live and love without qualm.

It is a gem of a novel, important for both its revelations and its story of hope.

But yet.

It's not perfect. Weaving in and out of the tale is the thread of magic realism -- the idea that it takes something beyond reality to end this evil and to bring people home. I think it subtracts from the efforts of  those who consistently laid their lives on the line to present the notion that supernatural assistance was required.

Another flaw is more prosaic: it felt at times to be a disjointed narrative, lacking a clear trail from

event to event, causing readers to stop in their tracks to re-evaluate.

Still, it's a fine book. The characters are strong, courageous, and human. They are male and female. The tale is clearly driven by its main black characters, which is as it should be because it is their story.

Through Coates, a student and scholar of African-American literature, history, and philosophy, the characters come alive through stirring words and vivid actions. Some are figments of Coates' imagination; others are drawn from historical figures.

All are remarkable, and present an evocative tale of a shameful time when white people sold and abused their fellow humans simply because of the color of their skins.