This is an absolutely beautiful book! The writing itself is stunning and a lot of work is put into absolutely every sentence. It deals with such heavy and heartbreaking topics and at times it is very hard to read, but also at times still feels optimistic that there are good things in this world worth fighting for such as love, family, connections, familiarity and home.

This book took me a while to read as it is very deep and character driven. This is a slow story that you are meant to take your time with and really absorb and understand. The story line is good and moves along at a good pace but the things that makes this book different from other books on this topic is first the focus on people's thoughts and inner workings. How they felt, how they thought, what made them make the choices that they did. The deep personal thoughts really make this book very powerful as you can relate to the characters on an intimate level, it goes deeper than just the everyday lives and experiences of a slave. Second, it goes deeper and more broad into the politics, the freeing of slaves and the north versus the south; how it all commingled. Previous books I have read usually just focus on one particular plantation or town and the atrocities that happened in everyday life.

There is a strong focus on the psychological effects of our experiences. Morality choices such as acting out of revenge and anger. Do they deserve it if they have seriously wronged you? Have you crossed a line? How every decision you make can snowball and unknowingly affect so many lives. Really separating what you think is best for somebody compared to what they want for themselves. How much your understanding of life, relationships and feelings change as you mature and experience more of life. It leaves you with a lot of things to think about and really ponder on.

Of all the horrible things that were done to slaves, I must say that the thought of taking a mother's children away from her, really hits me hard. I had a really hard time reading that. I cannot even imagine having my children taken from me. Even writing those words my eyes are tearing up.

Not sure about the magical realism parts of the book. I go back and forth on whether I liked that aspect or not. I feel like it is used as a portrayal of how our memories and experiences hold onto us and how important they are to help guide us in our future, but I personally felt like it took away from the story a bit. At times it confused me and I had to stop and get out of the story to think about it and I think it also slightly makes the true history of how hard people had to fight to get free seem a bit too easy.

It is very obvious that a lot of work and research has gone into this book. The level of detail and understanding in his writing is amazing. A book I will absolutely not soon forget and definitely recommend. This will be top seller, I am sure.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for my ARC.

A wonder. This novel follows the life of Hi, born into slavery and determined to find a way out on the Underground. Unlike other books that chronicle the lives of those in this situation, this one paints a rightfully bleak and horrifying view of that which was put upon many in the history of this country. I was riveted by the story and in love with the characters. Coates' descriptions put others to shame. I have read nothing like this before and am absolutely sure I will read nothing like this again because this is a complete masterpiece. I have books by this author on my to-read list but have read nothing by him so far, and his work has now immediately jumped to the top of the pile. I chose a very fitting time to read this as I finished it on Juneteenth and I think this should be required reading for anyone who believes that we have already righted the wrongs done to those who are descended from the enslaved peoples. If I could give it 6 stars, I would.
Read it now.

Just like Hiram Walker in The Water Dancer, I found myself visited by Coates' characters as I went through my day. This is one of those magical books, seeded in history, that informs the reader in a way only story can accomplish. Ta-Nehisi Coates is a national treasure, and The Water Dancer speaks profoundly to this time. It joins Colson Whitehead's Underground Railroad on my "pantheon shelf." And will, no doubt, be at the tip of my tongue when I'm asked for recommendations. More than a book, The Water Dancer is an experience. The humanity of his characters, the specificity of their experience, the fresh take on a period that has been written about for 150 years and yet never enough -- and most of all, Coates' breadth of imagination and command of his craft -- all of these things combine to make this the book of the year. Preorder it right now.

Hiram Walker was born the son of the plantation owner and a slave. He grows up knowing he is different, extremely intelligent, and has a gift that is emerging as time goes on. Hiram becomes involved with the Underground Railroad and has the opportunity to work both in Virginia, where he was enslaved, and in Philadelphia, where he escapes to. The author has provided extensive information about the workings of the railroad and the disparate personalities that fought for freedom for various reasons. In some ways this book is reminiscent of Colson Whitefield's Underground Railroad, but I enjoyed this story much more.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction even though it is sometimes hard to read about the injustices. Hiram overcomes the system on his own terms and in his own way. It's an important lesson to learn.

Just finished reading an advance copy of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s upcoming first novel, The Water Dancer, a fabulist tale of the Underground Railroad. Lyrical and moving from start to finish. It’s due out in September, and you’re all in for a fantastic treat.

This is a brilliant and beautiful book. I have never read any of Ta-Nehisi Coates' other work, so I was unprepared to be so blown away by his beautiful prose and creative storytelling. The Water Dancer is the story of Hiram, a slave who is tasked with the care of his half-brother, the overly-indulged heir of the plantation. After narrowly escaping death by drowning, Hiram realizes that he is meant to be free, and makes plans to escape. His decision sets events in motion that span counties, states, and years as Hiram enlists in the Underground Railroad and fights for freedom and restoration.

The first thing to know is that this story is not meant to be a fast-paced thriller. The descriptions in the story are inviting and delicious. They draw the reader into Hiram's world and describe a detailed world that in some ways is unfamiliar to us today, but also could be uncomfortably familiar for a society that claims to be so far past the atrocities of the slavery era. One of my favorite things about the book was the way that Coates used Hiram's inner musings to sprinkle profound thoughts throughout the story. There were several times that I had to stop and ponder what I had just read. It's definitely a story that is meant to be slowly savored and enjoyed.

Another thing that is especially enjoyable is the characters. They are all so meaningful, and there's rich analysis to be found by examining who the characters and what they may represent. I also found myself deeply caring for so many of them. It's been a long time since I felt truly devastated by the setbacks and grief experienced by characters in a book.

I also loved that this book doesn't fit snugly in the historical fiction genre. It's based off of real places and things (and there's even an appearance of at least one real historical figure), but Coates re-imagines them in a unique way that completely fits the context of the story. It also has elements of magical realism that work so well with the purpose of the story. It's not historical fiction as we're used to, but it's new and beautiful and delightful.

Overall, this is a book that will captivate you, make you think, and stir your heart. It seems like there is already a good amount of buzz about the book, and I really hope that the momentum continues. It's one of those stories that truly deserves all the attention it could possibly receive. I'm also now a dedicated reader of Mr. Coates, and I look forward to enjoying whatever his future projects may be!

I'm grateful to Ta-Nehisi Coates, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me an opportunity to read and honestly review this book!

I went in to this knowing the topics were ones that would be difficult to read. I've read many of Coates' previous work in The Atlantic and he has always been able to write about such topics in a way that you are able to understand the deep emotions involved with out being too overwhelmed. He's done it again with The Water Dancer. This book was masterfully written and really allows you to learn about the psychological implications and affects slavery had and continues to have on the black community. I don't have any personal experience with this and I don't know nearly enough about the topic, only what was taught in school, so this book was an eye-opener in a lot of ways.

WOW! Coates has blown my mind with The Water Dancer! I really didn't know what I was getting into when I started, but I just couldn't put it down. I love that it has such a unique look at history combined with fantasy. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

The prose is magjestic(not a typo, a combination of magnificent and majestic). And the reason why I lead with that is simply, the magjesty(not a typo)will keep you going when this bold and very ambitious novel drags a little under the weight of the challenge of crafting a story about the ills and evils of slavery, without the loudness.

“It always happened like this—that is what I had been told. Bored whites were barbarian whites. While they played at aristocrats, we were their well-appointed and stoic attendants. But when they tired of dignity, the bottom fell out. New games were anointed and we were but pieces on the board. It was terrifying. There was no limit to what they might do at this end of the tether, nor what my father would allow them to do.”

The foundation of this novel is slavery, and the story is told in a whisper, not a shout, but it so fits the protagonist Hiram Walker. Hiram is the enslaved son of the master, Howell Walker on Lockless, a tobacco plantation in Virginia.

In a nod to that whisper I mentioned, Coates avoids the use of master, masters, slaves, enslaved, etc. instead of employing those terms so familiar to us all concerning slavery, Coates boldly creates a new language referring to the master class as the “Quality” and the enslaved as the “tasked.”An interesting choice of terms that speaks to ambition and boldness, no?

Although Hiram Walker is tasked in the house of his father and enjoys some ‘privilege’ he still pines for freedom. “So as to my freedom, the events stood thus: I knew that I would never advance beyond my blood-bound place at Lockless.”

In his quest for freedom, there are some costly miscalculations and Hiram suffers some setbacks that lead to greater comebacks as he becomes active in the famed Underground Railroad. Hiram is blessed with the power of conduction, not just in the regular sense of the word, but in a magical realism sense.

He has experienced this power in him during a near death drowning at Lockless, but has never learned how to harness this power at his demand. That all changes, when he meets none other than Moses herself, Harriet Tubman while working the underground.

I find it very curious to write this conduction business as magical realism(for lack of a better term) because I think it diminishes all the courageous and daring actions taken by those on their way to freedom.

It feels dismissive of what one had to endure to reach freedom, and in some ways denies the obvious brilliance and bravery of a Harriet Tubman who chose to return to the coffin(slavery in the Deep South) again and again and..... I love Coates’ writing but I am not enamored with that choice.

Having said that, I still enthusiastically recommend this novel, just superbly written with a cast of engaging characters, some intrigue, some thrills, and yes some horror, but not written horrifically( the whispering). I’m certain this book will garner a multitude of discussion and commerce. Ta-Nehisi Coates can now confidently add novelist to his writing career! Thanks to Netgalley and OneWorld-Random House Publishing for an ARC. Book is out 9/24/2019.

Ta-Nehisi Coates' debut fiction novel brings his deep understanding on race relations in America into a new form with The Water Dancer. Hiram Walker was born a into bondage in the Antebellum South. What unfolds throughout the novel is not a typical meditation on slavery, and it is uniquely powerful in its use of magical realism and mysticism to grapple with complex themes of oppression, freedom, family, and home, as Hiram navigates the Underground Railroad.

This took me forever to read, mostly because I was too busy to sit. The story itself, is not "new", but the characters, the take on the whole underground railroad is new and different. I really enjoyed not only the basic story, but the way the author developed the characters and allowed them to grow and change.

I had to get this after reading between the world and me. It took me a little bit to get through because the writing is denser and not the easiest to read (not a bad thing!) This book was just so real with its descriptions of slavery. The characters were all described beautifully. Love the build up with what happened to his mother.

Hiram Walker is a character who will stay with me for a very long time.
Coates creates a sense of family, memory, and freedom in a brand new way.

Coates’ coming-of-age novel is centered on a young man whose father is his master and who’s been tasked with caring for his own wastrelhalf-brother. The complications of this situation and Hiram’s growth as he finds himself involved with the Underground make for compelling reading. The messages are laid on thickly, but the action carries the reader through the book.

The Water Dancer

Virginia, tobacco fields who once enriched the masters and brought on the slave trade, see their land striped to sand, their mansions crumbling.
Slaves are sold, families separated, children sold from their mothers, all send Natchez - way, Tennessee, Missouri, where masters with lucrative land are in need of Taskers...slaves.

A line

I heard stories of white men who bought colored men to enact their wildest pleasures - white men who kept them locked away for the sheer thrill of being able to.

About

Hiram, a child without a mother he can remember, a child, a slave who's father is the master. We will travel many ways with Hiram on his road to find his mother, on his road to find freedom for many. I spend 4 days with Hi as he calls himself and found myself missing him.

A Fact

You will have to wait till the end to know what happened to Hiram's mother, well worth the wait.
I loved this novel based on facts, so well written...so many truth.
A must read

This novel, told in first person, is the story of a slave named Hiram, set in the late antebellum period in Virginia, where the tobacco plantation system is in decline and many slaves are being sold to go south to pick cotton. The story follows Hiram’s life first in slavery, then an attempted escape and re-capture, and a surprising liberation from capture into the “underground.” After joining the underground Hiram spends time in Philadelphia and after a year ends up back on his plantation as an organizer for the underground.
There are many different characters involved including his white father, his white step-brother, a woman who acts as a surrogate mother, another woman who acts as a companion, a southern white abolitionist, and the great emancipator, Harriet Tubman.
Slaves are called the “Tasked” and the masters are called the “Quality.” The predominant themes are freedom for slaves and the deep despair that is felt as families are broken up and sold down the “Natchez Trail” by their masters. There is violence and cruelty as well, but it is not particularly graphic, nor does it seem to among the author’s main concerns.
The author uses the term conduction in two different ways. In one sense it is the act of the underground helping slaves to escape to freedom in the North. In the second, and more important sense, it is the ancient art of teleportation that both Harriet Tubman and Hiram use to help slaves escape to freedom. In other words, it is fantastical.
If you are a reader like me, who is not a fan of fantasy, this novel may not satisfy you. The writing is good; the story is interesting. I’m not sure why someone as courageous as Harriet Tubman needs to have her bold history portrayed as fantasy.

I have never met Ta-Nehisi Coates though he was living in Paris at the same time I was. He was a fellow at the American Library in Paris and wrote 'Between Me and World' while there. That book went on to win the National Book award and changed his life. In his words, it was like being hit by a Mack truck.

I was sent an advance copy of 'We were Eight Years in Power', his 2017 book of eight articles previously written for the Atlantic during the Obama Presidency. I reviewed that book as highly as I could. I then went backwards and read his earlier books. I watched many videos of him on You Tube and always felt sad that I hadn't met him when he was here. I've come to like the man in the videos as much as the man who writes such articulate evocative essays. I have always been struck by his use of language, the elegant phrasing in his essays and his easy street vernacular when chatting away with an interviewer.

Now he has written a novel The Water Dancer, his first such book. He has adopted an almost mystical, mythical style of storytelling that, to me, is completely different than anything before. How does one write about something so heartbreaking as the treatment of slaves, the separation of families, of couple, the courage of so many people putting their lives on the line to rescue others from "the coffin" (slavery in the deep south), the life of Harriet Tubman and all the stolen moments, memories and stories of an entire race of people.

This is the story of Hiram Walker, born to a black mother whom he can't remember and a white plantation owner. Hi narrates his unexpected life from five years old when he thinks he lost his mother to his late twenties. When he has flashes of his other, it is of her dancing with her sister, Emily, feet pounding the floor, bodies bonelessly swaying without shame in complete abandon like the water dances in the river. Water is a character in this enthralling telling of a boy first just wanting to remember, then wanting to be free and then wanting to understand.

He lives his teenage years in his father's house underneath in the Warrens, he tries to escape, is captured and emprisoned. He makes in north and becomes part of the Underground railroad. As he works with the other dedicated members to free brothers and sisters, literally, family takes on a new meaning to him and drives him in ways he never could have conceived.

I don't pretend to even begin to know what it is like to be Black in America, what the word Freedom means to a man enslaved for real or by what we white people put on them, what it must be like to watch the US going backwards in this Age of White Supremacy. This elegantly written book that seems more dreamlike than factual has brought me as close to "understanding" to "feeling" the losses that never end as anything I've ever read.

My admiration for Ta-Nehisi Coates and his many forms of language continues to grow. This is a book, I will read again.

Beautifully written but a bit too slow moving at times. There are way too many characters, some of who were only mentioned briefly. I found myself becoming confused about who was who. In all a good read.

Coates’ first novel, and a hell of a way to open a fiction writing career. It’s a combination of a slave memoir, which means there’s a ton of monologues (and with some folks I know not liking Coates’ monologuing in his comics work, I do want to note that), and in general very true to the historical style. There’s also just a dash of magical realism, and historical figures who also are gifted with similar fantasy powers. Where this really dives deep is into the cruelty of slavery, especially in what was done to families. Definitely worth a read, just for the way that he writes it and the breadth and depth to which he goes in his writing.

This was not great. Too many characters; too much moving around. I was just skipping pages toward the end to get through it.