They don't have to understand. Even the games they play are preparing them for their future - and that future will come whether they understand it or not.

I am fairly new to Octavia Butler's writing (this and Parable of the Sower is all I have to go on) but I understand all of the accolades and praise she receives. Her stories may be written decades ago but they don't feel dated or out of style, if anything they are as important now as they were when they were written.

I came across Kindred while reading recommendations that fit my style and once I saw "time travel" and "Octavia Butler" I needed no further encouragement and this book shot to the top of what to read next.

I thought I would die on the ground there with a mouth full of dirt and blood and a white man cursing and lecturing as he beat me.

Going in to the story cold I had no expectations for the story and Kindred delivered on all fronts. Butler has a beautiful way of writing but can also be blunt and horribly brutal. Kindred does not hold back on difficult topics like slavery, abuse and rape. It can be challenging reading material but the story is so well written that I didn't hesitate returning to the book.

That's history. It happened whether it offends you or not. Quite a bit of it offends me, but there's nothing I can do about it.

As Canada is going through its own reckoning with residential schools and the First Nations it's very apparent that history is ugly, messy and not be what was taught growing up. History can be offensive and the best way forward is to learn from it and attempt repetition.

Kindred is a time travel book but doesn't play within the rules. Paradoxes are ignored and warnings for tampering in the past aren't mentioned. And none of that matters. The story is so engrossing that I wasn't thinking about a butterfly effect or negative impacts to a family tree. This is an outstanding story and am glad for the trip to the 1800's and learn a little more about the messy history that has impacted us all.