Book Review: "The Water Dancer" By Ta-Nehisi Coates

"Born into bondage."

“They knew our names and they knew our parents. But they did not know us, because not knowing was essential to their power. To sell a child right from under his mother, you must know that mother only in the thinnest way possible. To strip a man down, condemn him to be beaten, flayed alive, then anointed with salt water, you cannot feel him the way you feel your own. You cannot see yourself in him, lest your hand be stayed, and your hand must never be stayed, because the moment it is, the Tasked will see that you see them, and thus see yourself. In that moment of profound understanding, you are all done, because you cannot rule as is needed.”

When Hiram's mother was sold he lost his memory of her but gained mysterious powers. Years later when he nearly drowns those same powers saved his life.

This near death experience brings Hiram to escape the only home he's ever known and focus on a new journey that catapults him into dangerous territory in hopes of saving those he loves.

From the plantations to the guerilla cells to the underground wars between slavers and enslaved all for profit and land ownership using blood money.

It's a story more powerful than words. More moving than earth shattering revelations. More emotional than any book I've ever laid eyes upon reading.

"There are enemies in this world that cannot simply be outrun." "Man made us slave, but God willed us free."

"I was aware of myself and aware of a deep anger..."

Many slaves died of fever and were buried. Later that same land was developed upon their very souls that inhabited the Earth.

"We in the underground fought a secret war, covert, mystical, violent, but were quietly allied with the open one and the August meeting was the only time when our two factions, hailing from across the country, could meet.

Harriet led them to freedom.

"Burial in the hole." "Time in jail." "Those nights when I was hunted as prey."

Convention was a campsite not far from the Canadian border. The white man stood beside silent Indians in full blown attire while speaking of the great depredations that they witnessed.

Children sold by parents because they simply unable to afford them.

"Slavery was the root of all struggle. For it was said that factories enslaved the hands of children, and that child bearing enslaved the bodies of women, and that rum enslaved the souls of men."

It was Philly and Virginia Underground that was often discussed with 'dreaming' a central focal point.

"We forgot nothing, you." -Harriet
"To forget is to truly slave. To forget is to die. To remember , friend. For memory is the chariot, and memory is the way and memory is the bridge from the curse of slavery to the boon of freedom."

Then we were in the water -The Delaware River.

"The light of Harriet " shines bright as we saw new country with children some quality some tasked.

Conduction existed "Because you unlike the others you can see a bridge across that river, many bridges even, connecting all the islands, many bridges , each one made of a different story. And you cannot just see the bridges, you can walk across, drive across, conduct across, with passengers in tow, sure as an engineer conduct a train."
The many bridges. The many stories. The way over the river.
That is the notion of conduction.

Task meant no count so you can go off radar for a day. To task is to wear a mask.
"Freedom was a master. A driver."

In the end, "We are what we always were"- UNDERGROUND!

I am speechless.

This was the best book I've ever read and having written more than 2k reviews I assure you this work before me is impressive.