I received an Advanced Reviewer Copy of The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates from the publisher Random House through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: The book is about Hi Walker, the son of a plantation owner and a slave. His mother has been sold and he is left in care of an older slave woman before being brought into the big house with his father. This book follows his life.

What I Loved: Coates is a terrific writer and if you love the joy of beautiful language you will find it here. This is a book to be treasured and devoured. Coates sets up the story carefully and the payout is well worth it. I really loved how he tied everything up at the end, it made me rethink my entire feeling on the book, much like Whitehead's Nickel Boys.

What I didn’t like so much: This book has magical realism written all over it and it was very challenging for me to keep going, it was hard for me to fully sink my teeth into it in the time I had, so I listened on audio. Don't do this, it was hard to follow and reading this is an endeavor, one that frustrated me till the pay off. The magical realism can be overwhelming and hard to piece together.

Who Should Read It: People who love historical fiction and magical realism (ala Underground Railroad). People who love a challenging book. People who love literary fiction. People who love beautiful language.

General Summary: A beautifully written book that tells the story of a young enslaved man through magical realism, that is at times frustrating and challenging, but worth it.

Thank you to One World Books / NetGalley for the early digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Trigger warnings: Sexual, physical, and mental abuse/harassment and mention of suicide.

This poignant novel is written by the same author—Ta-Nehisi Coates, who wrote Between the World and Me, a National Book Award Winner. This one is a mashup of magical realism and literary fiction. Emotions weave their way through the novel, not giving the reader time to keep up. It’s both heartbreaking and heart-wrenching, and everything in between, all shoved into 400 pages of genius.  

No, this isn’t a five-star read. I dropped a star because I didn’t enjoy the parts dealing with magical realism. I didn’t understand it, and because of that I didn’t enjoy that aspect of the story as much. Literary fiction is difficult for me to get to through and adding anything else to that is overwhelming. Other than that, the last 20-30% didn’t catch my interest as much as the beginning.

The Lockless house in Elm County, Virginia is run by Howell Walker—Quality—high class. He owns Tasks—slaves who help him produce tobacco crops. One of his slaves is Hiram Walker, his son, whose mother was a wonderful water dancer named Rose. Howell sold her when Hiram was young and he has no recollection of her. Howell has another white son named Maynard, who is next in line to watch over the Lockless house when Howell can no longer do so.

Hiram and Maynard end up in the river one day, Hiram lived and Maynard wasn’t so lucky. Hiram was saved by his peculiar power called “conduction”. When he woke up, he knew that he needed to escape the only place he has ever known.
The journey takes him into the wilderness, the deep south, and it forces him into being part of the underground war—slavers against the enslaved. Hiram’s only goal is to save the family he left behind. 

The characters are three-dimensional and they’re distinguishable. They are characters you think you know, but you don’t. 
Hiram is one of my new favorite fictional characters. He’s determined, tough, honorable, and kind. I’m unsure how he even survived everything he endured. He always put in 100% and it really shows and even pays off in the end.

Coates brought something special to the book world. He took a basic book about slavery and spiced it up with his own blend of seasonings. He doesn’t just call them slaves; they are called Tasks. Instead of high class—Quality. Then there are the Lows, the whites who are below the Quality because they are in the business of selling slaves. They will never rise above their status. He also adds the magical elements. It wasn’t my favorite but I know there are people who will LOVE it.

The Water Dancer is a novel unlike any other. I highly recommend it!

I had the privilege of having Ta-Nehisi Coates come to our city and speak about his book. He is a brilliant writer, a great speaker but humble. He knows that his voice is one of many and that his stories are important, not because they are better in some way (and Oprah loved it!), but because the more voices we have telling these stories, the stronger they are. Slavery is a dark part of American history but racism is still alive and well. As I read this work of fiction, I was reminded of how the laws may have changed, but the institutions that were built on these ideas have not. There is still a lot of work to do. The language is beautiful and the magical realism makes it feel like another world but he doesn't shy away from the horror of what slaves had to endure. He is a "must read" author for me.

This novel was aptly chosen as the latest title in Oprah's Book Club! I am so grateful to NetGalley and Penguin Randomhouse for the opportunity to read The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. It is a story of a tasked man with a dream to escape the bondage of slavery at a corrupt Virginia plantation that eventually takes him to the intricate network of the Underground Railroad. There is so much history and heartbreak (and magic!) and the novel is full of beautiful prose, I am going to have to read it again just to absorb the beautiful language he used since I read it the first time to pursue the plot lines and to see what was going to happen to dear Hiram! The main character Hiram has a photographic memory, lost his mother at age 9, and he is an orphaned slave whose father is the master and has a brother for whom he is tasked to serve.

I am from Mississippi and had never heard the term "gone Natchez Way" until I read this book. I recently learned that Natchez was a significantly large slave trading port but had never heard the phrase before. This book has definitely spawned my interest to read and learn more about The Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman.

I went into this novel with very little knowledge, having only seen the author’s name and that the genre is historical fiction with a magical twist. I could just tell it would be spectacular. Then, of course, just before release the book was added to Oprah’s Book Club, and I couldn’t even try to get in line for an audiobook at my library because they were booked up for almost an entire year!

I assure you, I very much enjoyed this book, and I encourage you to read it as well. I have read a few slave narratives over the last few years, and I believes this one will definitely be recognized as a part of slave literature for future generations.

I’m very interested to hear what you all think of this book! I went in hoping it would be moving, reminiscent of critically acclaimed literature on the subject of slavery. And I felt satisfied on all of those accounts.

This book holds so many twists, turns, and emotions that I really had no idea how it would all end. I was very interested in the Underground plot points because I don’t know much about that history besides stories about Harriet Tubman’s bravery. The ordinary white people who helped get slaves up to the North are not as widely known as Tubman, but were also integral to the entire operation, as shown by the significant kind souls who helped Hiram in this narrative.

The magical element was seamlessly integrated into Hiram’s life. Passed down from his mother, Hiram has heard the legends of water dancers, but believes that he lacks the talent. Even more so, he does not understand what it actually means until he discovers the depth of that power inside of himself. Hiram’s bildungsroman brings us from his innocence in childhood, through gaps in his normally impeccable memory, and to his adult life where he becomes a fiercely loyal man who will do anything to help those he loves. There are so many lessons to be learned in this book, and I hope you all find a moment to read it, too.

I empathize with people who feel their history so strongly and partially because of that, and partially because I love Coates, I so wanted to love this book.

It is another tale of the underground railroad with a magical realism component. (I didn't love the Whitehead either.) It's sort of heartbreaking that to get through they had nowhere to look but magic?

Sadly, the book wasn't magical. I found it leaden, and hard to get through. Coates is a fantastic writer, and the writing was good. There was perhaps just too much of it.

I certainly didn't hate it, but didn't love it either. It will be interesting to see if it pops up next award season.

I’m always a fan of some light mystic realism, but I usually don’t encounter it in such a socially complex, historically important work. This book is so well written that for moments here and there I found myself pausing because I didn’t REMEMBER Harriet Tubman having conduction but it was so clearly what happened based on this book! The power of the written word. As a white woman there’s not a lot of insight I can add to the horror of slavery, but it was of course at the center of this novel. I also appreciated the feminist characters, the realization of Hi that there wasn’t more than one way a woman can be owned. The complexities of family relationships, both blood and made, were very well written as well.

Beautiful and lyrical. The audiobook, read by Joe Morton, was especially well done and drew me into this story.

As a children’s librarian I have read my share of pictures books about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, but I’m embarrassed to say I have not dug deeply beneath those simple images. In The Water Dancer Ta-Nehisi Coates takes the reader with him on a journey back in time and history to a world of horrific injustice and exquisite fantasy. You may find it difficult to reconcile these worlds, but Coates has the language and vision to bring the time to life.
The story, told by the narrator Hiram Walker begins in a. Virginia plantation where young Hi is the son of the plantation owner and Rose, a slave who has been sold and whom Hi can not remember. Hi lives and works among the Tasked but at age 12. becomes the companion to his half brother and heir to the plantation, Maynard, a sad excuse for a human being. Hi, on the other hand, is bright, observant, and gifted with a photographic memory. The contrast between the half-siblings is painful.
The world of the plantation is not the rosy paradise of Gone With the Wind. Dependence on tobacco as primary crop has sapped the soil, and only borrowed money keeps the economy afloat. Those who see the future clearly are relocating West, and those who remain behind are living on borrowed time. As Hi matures he understands that his life as a slave has no redeeming qualities, no matter how intellectually gifted he is.
The narrative expands to the activities of the Underground Railroad, including both local conductors and the legend called Moses, Harriet Tubman.. Hi has a power that grows stronger as the book unfolds. It is a magic that enables him to move swiftly to carry slaves to safety. He concentrates particularly on people in his own family and his love and loyalty fuels his power.
Coates’ writing is remarkable. His chapters exposing the vileness of slavery are unforgettable. The descriptions of the workings of the Underground Railroad explained much I did not know. The stories of love and tragedy among the Tasked were deeply effecting. The aspect of the story which did not touch me as deeply was the mysticism of Hiram and Harriet’s power. To me the story of the survival of the human spirit was magic enough.

I started off slow dancing and swaying to the harmonic words to the story and I was loving the depth to the story. And then instead of dancing, I found myself swimming upstream and once again lost in the magical elements to the complexity of the story. It became too much of struggle for this over busy reader and failed to keep up with the beat of this story.

I received a copy of the publisher on NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Having already read non-fiction works by Coates, I knew that this was going to be a heavy and beautiful work of art. I was not wrong. First of, Coates is a wordsmith, his sentence structures and metaphors are gorgeous. But most of all, this is a well researched piece of historical fiction with light magical elements.

Hiram is a young slave when he realizes his gift of being able to remember EVERYTHING, everything except memories of his mother. Hiram was fathered by the man who is also his master, and tasked with taking care of his white brother, who has no business in regular society. But after a near death experience that takes the life of his brother, Hiram decides that it's time to leave his wretched life of slavery and seek freedom. He knows exactly who to go to to achieve it, at least he thinks he does...

This has all of the horrors of slavery as well as the strength, determination and sacrifice of those who lived in that time and fought it. I loved crossing paths with Harriet Tubman, and I would love to know of the accuracy of some of the other characters that we meet.

Beautiful book.

I will never look at the Underground Railroad the same way again. Mr Coates brought it to life in a way that other authors have not. The prose is lyrical and pulls you in . It makes the Underground Railroad real in a way that we should all care about.

I felt the author created characters and situation that felt real and, more importantly deliverable.This book made me think about what the railroad was and the role that Harriet Tubman, and others, played in the creation and execution of it. This is a topic that I wished the schools has taught more about when I was in school. Mr. Coates taught me something and changed the way I though about that period in our history. In the end this is a what a good book should do. I encourage everyone to read it. It is a great book !

I could never get interested in this book and I wanted to like it. I found it very slow moving. I am definitely in the minority here so give this book a chance - it might be one you really love.

Perfection. Ta-Nehisi Coates always delivers and I'm so glad he's writing fiction. I'm a fan forever.

I enjoyed reading Mr. Coates' essays and so was looking forward to reading his first novel. Certainly it did not disappoint. The story and characters are very engaging and Mr. Coates' beautiful writing style shines through. It does feel like some parts are a little too dragging and the end is a little too rushed. Overall though, it is an excellent historical fiction with a touch of fantasy.

With "The Water Dancer," Coates proves that he can write fiction just as well as nonfiction and comics. The writing is engaging and the dialogue feels authentic to the time period. Many books emphasize the physical violence of slavery; I like that Coates focuses on the horror of families being torn apart and the detrimental effects it had on slaves.

I tried to read this book and just couldn't get interested in it. There wasn't much of a storyline and the book just jumped around with no real plot. I liked the author's other books, so I was disappointed.

Hiram Walker is a slave. Born a slave and destined to die a slave—despite being the illegitimate son of the plantation master. At nine years old, his mother is sold, and, though the other slaves take care of him, Hiram is understandably wounded in a way that can’t be healed. But Hiram learns to bury his pain and do whatever he has to do to get through The Task each day. Over time he develops a gift for reading white people and then knowing how to best entertain them, especially his father. His skills land him in the Big House where he ultimately ends up working as his (white) brother’s personal servant. But Hiram wants more, and he’s determined to unshackle himself from the dying tobacco fields of Virginia no matter the cost. What he doesn’t realize yet (but soon will) is that freedom will cost him everything.

You know when you start a super popular book and you think to yourself, this thing CAN’T POSSIBLY live up to all the hype? Yeah well, that’s what I was thinking when I started reading this one, but I ended up falling IN LOVE with The Water Dancer.

The writing is exquisite, the characters are beautifully developed, but the story itself—the meticulous and magical development of time and place—blew me away. I was transported, bearing witness, standing right there with those enslaved mothers who were sold and separated from their sons, with the brothers and sisters murdered at the whim of their masters.

The Water Dancer broke my heart, but, incredibly, it was still an uplifting story. I finished the book feeling hopeful that good can eventually win. Even when the world is so bleak, you have to keep on fighting. I’m giving this one ALL THE STARS.

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I’m a rambler. I usually have no difficulty sharing my thoughts on a book ... but this one is going to be rolling around in my head for a bit. And that’s a good thing.
.
I have not yet read any nonfiction by Coates, but I am deeply impressed by the beauty of his writing in this novel. With emphasis on telling a genuine story from the perspective of “the Tasked” (read: slaves), at the individual and family level, Coates has taken a unique approach to an oft written-about subject. Hiram Walker lives on a plantation in Virginia, his mother one of the Tasked who has been sold away and his father the white owner. His heritage brings him no privilege, however, and after nearly drowning Hiram decides to run. Thus begins a journey that entwines him with the Underground (read: Railroad) and a magical power flowing through his bloodline.
.
Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad was inevitably drawn to mind as I read this book ... not just because of the subject matter, but because of the way it is handled. Just as Whitehead takes history and twists it by making the Railroad a physical construct, so does Coates use magical realism as a mechanism of the Underground. His writing is sharp, evoking great feeling throughout. As such, much like Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys earlier this year, I found that I paced myself through this read due to the weight it carries.
.
I will certainly spend some time assembling my thoughts on this one - hopefully in a more coherent manner - for a full review over at @thenerdaily. In the meantime, many thanks to @oneworldbooks and @netgalley for the gifted eARC and I highly recommend that you pick this one up. In case you’ve been hiding under a rock lately, it is the latest pick for @oprahsbookclub and you know she won’t steer you wrong!

A beautifully written historical magical realism tale. The story itself was absorbing and each sentence was well-crafted.