African American Book Review

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Synopsis: Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana's life will end, long before it has a chance to begin.

Review 1: 5 out of 5 stars, Called "A masterpiece from one of the essential sci-fi writers"
Octavia Butler's "Kindred" is a novel which fits into many literary niches. It could be seen as a milestone in both African-American literature and science fiction; it's also a novel with a lot for feminist readers and critics. But ultimately the power of this book allows it to transcend all labels. "Kindred" tells the story of Dana, a 20th century African-American woman who is married to a white man. Throughout the book Dana is mysteriously thrust back and forth in time between her world and the world of her ancestors in the 19th century. She seems to be tied to one ancestor in particular: Rufus, the white son of a slaveowning family. Part of Dana's struggle is to deal with the utterly alien world of Rufus' slaveowning culture.Butler brilliantly weaves many powerful themes into this gripping story: violence, sexual desire, race, literacy, language, law, and education. The story is peopled with well-developed characters who have complex, interconnected relationships. Butler vividly evokes how the slave system both physically brutalized blacks and psychologically warped whites.Butler's prose is lean and muscular. She grips you from the stark opening lines: "I lost an arm on my last trip home. My left arm." The story is richly ironic and heartbreaking. 

Review 2: 2 out of 5 stars, Called it "Good concept, but boring."
When I first started reading this book I really liked it. I liked the premise and how quickly the story was moving. But then it hit a brick wall from there. I feel as if nothing happened in this book and the story just stood still. I wanted to finish the book just to see what would happen and I was sadly disappointed when nothing really did.  The author had a good concept but fell short once it came to the telling of a good story.

Source: Amazon.com/Books

Africana History Fact of the Day

 

Robert Sengstacke Abbott (1868-1940)

African American founder, editor and publisher of the Chicago Defender.

Abbott was the son of former slaves.  He learned the publishing business from Hampton College and became a lawyer for some time after graduating from Kent College of Law.  He founded the Chicago Defender in 1905.  The paper was used as a protest against racism and became very popular in the African American community.  He used the paper as a means to fight against police brutality and other issues relevant in the black community.  On the side he was also active in many civic organizations like the Chicago Commission on Race Relations.

Africana History Fact of the Day

 

Abakuas

Secret society of African peoples who were enslaved in Cuba.

In the mid-19th century, thousands of Africans were brought against their will from territories in Nigeria to the sugar plantations of Cuba.  Though enslaved, they did not abandon many traditions of their culture that they had in Africa.  They continued to form all-male organizations that oversaw traditions in religion, music and dance.  They called these groups, Abakuas.  Today the Abakuas can be found in places like the city of Havana.  They held on to their language from the Calabar region of Nigeria called Ibo and used it to preserve the traditions of their people.

eBook Cover Design

Author's Bio: New Author D. C. Cowan

D. C. Cowan is a collaborative mother-daughter team who is pleased to present several book series exploring minorities and spirituality.  The Black Rose series was written by the mother over thirty years ago.  Cowan, is a graduate of the prestigious Spellman College in Atlanta, GA where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.  A pillar to her community, she was a director for many years at a local recreation center and with the Sycamore Temple Church she taught Sunday School and received recognition from the members for her contributions.  With quiet tenacity, Cowan has been writing her books for over thirty years only sharing her ideas with close relatives.  While a dedicated housewife, she spent hours researching and writing self-help books and hundreds of poems, novels, and short stories.  Finding courage in a hard time, Cowan worked for a number of years helping her children through school.  Encouraged by her family, she now shares her stories with the world as another African American novelist.  A dedicated and loving mother and wife, she is the mother of two and currently resides with her retired husband.

The daughter is a graduate of the world renowned Wake Forest University with a degree in Psychology.  She attended graduate school for two years pursuing a Master’s degree in Psychology.  She plans to help her mother continue to publish the Black Rose series.  With a personal love of studying the spiritual world, she has written several books that delve into the relation of God, angels and humans.  She has written three books about minorities chosen to fulfill a prophecy and destined to become angels of life, love and truth in a dark world.  The trilogy is called Angelic Heroes which includes the following: Book of Omni, Child of Light and Mount of Truth.  The books depict strong female minorities as the lead characters.  Though suitable for all ages, the trilogy is intended for teenagers and young adults who are interested in spirituality and fantasy. 

The Legend of the Black Rose Press Release: Coming this January 2014!

The Debut Novel by D. C. Cowan

D. C. Cowan consists of two authors.  It’s a collaborative mother-daughter team who is pleased to present several book series exploring minorities and spirituality.  The Black Rose series was written over thirty years ago.  Cowan attended the prestigious Spelman College and graduated some years before Alice Walker, the author of The Color Purple.  The Legend of the Black Rose follows the family of descendants of an African Princess stolen from her homeland.  One act of hatred will tear the family apart, but will bring back together age old lovers in the most unusual way.   It’s a story of a forbidden love divided by ages.  A great love story of two ancestral beings driven from their homeland and doomed to wander as restless spirits.  The Black Rose is known as a wise and comforting spirit destined to protect her lost and fading lineage.  The identity of the Black Rose adds an element of mystery to the book.  She has the potential to be anyone at any time.  There is also an element of racial pride and religion that would appeal to mature African American audiences, but anyone interested in a unique paranormal romance will find the story fascinating.

The Fading Race of African Americans

The Legend of the Black Rose series centers on African Americans especially women of color.  The setting is in America during the mid-19^th century, but in an alternate reality where the sons of Shem and Japheth are on the war path to eradicate the sons of Ham – the three sons of Noah.  The African race is believed to be descendants of Ham and thus they are under a curse to be enslaved.  During this time in an alternate world history, there is worldwide genocide on the people with African descent.  The main character is an African American female who could pass for Caucasian.  She was left an orphan because of the genocide and her whole life she has struggled with her identity and her longing to be accepted as Black American. 

The Black Rose Book Series

The Legend of the Black Rose is the first book in the series.  The Black Rose series is about passionate love, about hereditary pride, a fading race, and about the borderline of sanity.  The impact of this genocide is more prevalent in the later books of the series when segregation is enforced, contemporary slavery is accepted, and interracial lovers must fight the laws of segregation.  However, the series focuses less on the war of the races and more on the price the war has had on the black identity, mentality and romance. Shoved off in communities categorized by race, the stories venture into the lives and love affairs among people who want to find love in a world that is not accepting of interracial couples.