In 1976, Dana dreams of being a writer. In 1815, she is assumed a slave. When she first meets Rufus on a Maryland plantation, he’s drowning. She saves his life – and this will happen again and again. Neither understand his power to summon her whenever his life is threatened, nor the significance of the ties that bind them.
This powerful and thought proving novel was a hit with many of our readers this month. We felt the idea of a 1970’s Black woman time travelling and ending up in antebellum America was compelling, and liked the genre twisting mixture of historical fiction and science fiction. Some readers found that the book took a little while to get going, while others were gripped from the start.
Several of the group found it striking that the book was written in 1979 but still felt relevant and modern. One reader commented that it was ‘an easy read but a difficult topic’, which seemed a very accurate summary
Dana’s role led several readers to feel she might somehow be able to ‘fix’ Rufus—the distant relative whose life she repeatedly saves when she is drawn back in time (no spoilers).
Rufus himself came across as very much a product of his time, influenced by a harsh father and weak mother. The son of the plantation owner, his flashes of violence and outbursts of temper made for uncomfortable reading, leading us to question whether we were meant to feel sympathy towards him.
We found it slightly surprising when Dana’s husband Kevin also time travelled, but this enabled us to see the stark difference in treatment for a Black woman (presumed to be a slave) and a white man (presumed to be her owner), and the way that this was just accepted, as was the fact that they slept together.
Other characters also added to the impact of the story, including Alice, who was born free but later enslaved; her husband Isaac, who was brutally tortured then sold when he and Alice were caught while trying to escape; and Sarah the cook, who stays so that she can try and keep her deaf and mute daughter safe. One aspect several people found troubling was when Dana saw the Black children playing at slave auctions, which seemed perfectly normal to them, but horrific to Dana (and our readers).
Overall, impressions of the book were very positive, and the group admired the author’s ability to write accessibly on a disturbing and complicated subject. One reader said they’d thought it was ‘depressing, but good’ and would recommend it, even though they would not read it again. Another said they would read other books by her, as they felt it was impactful and memorable. One member said that they ‘absolutely loved it’, even though it was years since they first read it.
We felt that the book was challenging but definitely rewarding, and gave it 4/5
On an ordinary Saturday morning in 1996, the residents of Nightingale Point wake up to their normal lives and worries. It’s a day like any other, until something extraordinary happens. When the sun sets, Nightingale Point is irrevocably changed and somehow, through the darkness, the residents must find a way back to lightness, and back to each other. This debut novel by a Costa Short Story Award winner was Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the RSL Ondaatje Prize, and was a Radio 2 Book Club pick.
Come and pick up your copy from the Library in GETEC and join our next Teams meeting on Tuesday 7th July at 12.30pm.
If you can’t make it, you can still borrow the book and let us know your thoughts!
Find out more about our reading groups here
or why not take a look at some of our previous book reviews?
We look forward to seeing you!