THE WATER DANCER

“Finding freedom is only the first part … living free is a whole other.” The Water Dancer is the moving, poetic story of Hiram Walker, born a slave on a Virginia plantation and gifted with a mysterious power that saves his life as a young man. Despite his higher rank and erudite status among the “Tasked," his burning restlessness and sense of justice lead him seek a life of freedom. In doing so, he must learn to harness his gifts not only to save himself, but help others along his path. As this journey draws him to the fabled Underground Railroad, he must ultimately reconcile his role in a noble war with his ties to those he left behind. Hiram is hardened by loss, violence, degradation - but the beauty of this book is in his evolution from warrior to man, open to the possibilities of tenderness and love.

Historical fiction about slavery breaks my heart every time, and I’ll never stop reading about it as each novel provides a fresh perspective. At the same time, the common threads bear reinforcing again and again, and one of those is of family separation. This theme is pervasive throughout the story and leaves staggering devastation in its wake. The Water Dancer reminds us of the power of memory to restore us, to make us whole, to (quite literally, in this story) transport us to another time and place. Loved ones may be stolen, but memories cannot. They are magic.
“The gingerbread wrapped in paper (was) still warm in my hand. I wished I had smiled before I left. I wished I had said something to reward his kindness." In this book, there are feasts of salted pork and ash-cake, sweet potatoes and terrapin soup. But my lasting impression was of a special gingerbread with mystical qualities and memories of times past. My spread is decorated with shells, an important plot point that I won’t spoil here, but readers of this book may remember.