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Review Summaries
"This is the story of Dana Franklin, a black woman in 1976 suburban Los Angeles who is suddenly chronoported to an 1815 slave-holding plantation in Maryland. She has been called to save the son of the plantation master, her great-great-grandfather, Rufus Weylin. Somehow Rufus has the ability to summon Dana when he's in trouble and only a threat to her life can return her to the present. Over and over, at increasing risk, Dana is brought to the antebellum South to protect her ancestor. Dana is married, in the present, to Kevin, a gentle and progressive white man. But Kevin can adjust with relative ease to 19th century life by virtue of his race and gender. Both Dana and Kevin recognize this and, in spite of Kevin's love for Dana and his instinctive revulsion to slavery, they realize that it's taking Kevin longer to truly see it all for what it is."
Jennifer Martin-Romme, Resident Octavia Butler Scholar
"Dana, a black woman in the middle 1970's is summoned back to the ante-bellum South, from her home in California, to constantly save the life of Rufus, her ancestor who is needed to father the the daughter who will become Dana's ancestor. Dana needs to continue saving his life to ensure hers but everytime she goes back everything worsens until her own life is at stake and it is unsure whether she will come back home at all."
Alejandra Ramírez, Resident Octavia E. Butler Scholar
"A 20th Century woman writer is periodically transported back in time to safeguard the life of a slaveowner (an ancestor) throughout his life from a young boy onwards and to ensure that her ancestors be born. She can only return to her own time and her white husband when her life seems threatened. This is beyond her control. She attempts to instill some virtues into his life but continuous attempts and his harsh treatment towards her and others slowly make her realise that he is a product of his society and upbringing, and struggles with his own duplicity."
Riyaz Pocketwala, Resident Octavia E. Butler Scholar
"A 20th century black woman is celebrating her 26th birthday with her white husband,when she is suddenly transported back to the slave ridden South. She is to save her ancestor...a white plantation owner's son."
darlene jefferson, Resident Octavia Butler Scholar
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Overall Review
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 10% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 50%
Tone of book
- depressing/sad
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- fantasy story on current Earth
Time Travel:
- largely backwards/past
Repressive society story
Yes
Repressive because:
- controls your sex
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Time Travel story?
Yes
Who's a slave/repressed?
- humans are slaves of other humans
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- writer
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- slaver
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
Earth setting:
- 20th century
- 19th century
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- very explicit references to deaths and torture
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- none/very little science jargon needed
Sex in book?
Yes
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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