Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.

Napoléon Bonaparte

My father has a collection of over 7,000 books. A treasure trove of brilliance, escapism, and knowledge. It overwhelms me in the best way. My goal in life is to have a library of my own someday that surpasses my father. However, I’ve loved books from an early age. The smell of an old book, reading a new fiction novel and learning material that I would never know about all thanks to writers who put their thoughts on paper. I am eternally grateful for this art form.

My favorite book of all time is Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. A brilliant professor in my African and African-American Diasporic studies class at UNC-Chapel Hill introduced me to this novel. I have read Kindred multiple times since then and it still has a grip on my bookworm heart.

Kindred is a novel by Octavia E. Butler that was first published in 1979. It is a science fiction and fantasy story that follows the life of a young African American woman named Dana Franklin.

The story begins in 1976, when Dana is living in California with her husband, Kevin. One day, she is suddenly transported back in time to the antebellum South, where she meets her ancestors, Rufus, who is becomes the master of a plantation, and Alice, a slave on the plantation. Dana finds herself repeatedly returning to the past, alternating between her present life in California and her past life on the plantation.

As Dana travels back and forth through time, she becomes increasingly involved in the lives of her ancestors, and she is forced to confront the harsh realities of slavery and the brutality of the slave system. Despite the challenges she faces, Dana becomes determined to use her knowledge of the future to try to change the past and improve the lives of her ancestors.

Throughout the book, Butler explores themes of identity, agency, and the power of memory and history. The novel is widely considered to be a classic of science fiction and has won numerous awards, including the Nebula Award for Best Novel.

Kindred means one’s family and relations. As a multi-racial woman, I was drawn into this novel of opposing forces: 1800s African-Americans held as slaves and white slave owners. Being born in the United States of America as an Other has been the topic of my life’s personal thesis especially as I’ve grown older and watched history repeat itself and change at the same time. It makes no sense that humans cannot make permanent amends and move forward with an accepting mindset. I understand why we are not there yet but knowing where we are in 2023, it seems only right that mothers, fathers, and schools begin to nurture a new world order of peace and equality. Kindred allows me to travel back in time with the main character, Dana, and feel the weight of the two races in my whole being. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it will touch your heart profoundly.

Recently, Hulu launched a 2022 show called Kindred based on the novel. It took me quite some time to watch it because we all know how fans are when it comes to novels versus films. Look at the Harry Potter franchise! If you’ve read Kindred, then you know my nervousness comes rightfully so. Octavia E. Butler is one of the greatest science-fiction authors of our time. Being African-American was simply icing on the cake.

In general, when books are turned into film, the need to condense the story to fit a different format, or the desire to appeal to a different audience is ultimately what creates a new tale. It is also possible that the adaptation may take some creative liberties with the source material, adding or changing elements of the story in order to better fit the new medium.

First, let me say, spoiler alert!

I finished the 8 episodes in season 1 of Kindred on Hulu. My initial thought when the show opens is YES; they hit the nail on the head with the visual-to-book ratio. Perfect opening to the journey that we see come to life of Kindred.

The love story of Dana–played by Mallori Johnson–and Kevin–played by Micah Stock–was a little more fleshed out in the show which I appreciated because we don’t get that in the book. I appreciate that the house is owned by Dana, and Kevin is coming into her well-established life. I like seeing their love unfold in the story as opposed to the book and I didn’t think I would say something like that. However, as an actress, I do appreciate the incorporation of the current familial ties in Dana’s modern life with her Aunt and Uncle being so prevalent.

As much as I loved the show, it is still different from the book because of course, so much is taken out. Yet, I was equally disappointed as I was excited that they left the show on a cliffhanger in episode 8.

We all grow to hate Thomas Weylin, but as an actor, Ryan Kwanten did an amazing job portraying him. Thomas Weylin and Sarah–played by Sophina Brown–were two characters that are very different from the way I imagined the characters in the book. I expected Thomas to be older and I imagined Sarah as a larger woman. But for the record, Sophina Brown played the part perfectly.

All in all, without giving away too much more, I thought the show was amazing and it brought back so many emotions and reasons why I fell in love with the book in the first place. The science fiction aspect was strong in the show just as it is in the book with added twists. The biggest difference is in the show, I was getting frustrated with Dana because I didn’t feel like she took such obvious risks in the book. However, by the end of the season, we see how the adaptive writer and showrunner, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins showed his artistic touch.