--- product_id: 135623758 title: "The Water Dancer (Oprah’s Book Club): A Novel" brand: "ta-nehisi coatesjoe mortonrandom house audio" price: "FREE" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/135623758-the-water-dancer-oprah-s-book-club-a-novel store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # The Water Dancer (Oprah’s Book Club): A Novel **Brand:** ta-nehisi coatesjoe mortonrandom house audio **Price:** FREE **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Water Dancer (Oprah’s Book Club): A Novel by ta-nehisi coatesjoe mortonrandom house audio - **How much does it cost?** FREE with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/135623758-the-water-dancer-oprah-s-book-club-a-novel) ## Best For - ta-nehisi coatesjoe mortonrandom house audio enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted ta-nehisi coatesjoe mortonrandom house audio brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The Water Dancer (Oprah’s Book Club): A Novel ## Images ![The Water Dancer (Oprah’s Book Club): A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/817RvlMblWL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very bold and ambitious! *by R***T on Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2019* The prose is magjestic(not a typo, a combination of magnificent and majestic). And the reason why I lead with that is simply, the magjesty(not a typo)will keep you going when this bold and very ambitious novel drags a little under the weight of the challenge of crafting a story about the ills and evils of slavery, without the loudness.“It always happened like this—that is what I had been told. Bored whites were barbarian whites. While they played at aristocrats, we were their well-appointed and stoic attendants. But when they tired of dignity, the bottom fell out. New games were anointed and we were but pieces on the board. It was terrifying. There was no limit to what they might do at this end of the tether, nor what my father would allow them to do.”The foundation of this novel is slavery, and the story is told in a whisper, not a shout, but it so fits the protagonist Hiram Walker. Hiram is the enslaved son of the master, Howell Walker on Lockless, a tobacco plantation in Virginia.In a nod to that whisper I mentioned, Coates avoids the use of master, masters, slaves, enslaved, etc. instead of employing those terms so familiar to us all concerning slavery, Coates boldly creates a new language referring to the master class as the “Quality” and the enslaved as the “tasked.”An interesting choice of terms that speaks to ambition and boldness, no?Although Hiram Walker is tasked in the house of his father and enjoys some ‘privilege’ he still pines for freedom. “So as to my freedom, the events stood thus: I knew that I would never advance beyond my blood-bound place at Lockless.”In his quest for freedom, there are some costly miscalculations and Hiram suffers some setbacks that lead to greater comebacks as he becomes active in the famed Underground Railroad. Hiram is blessed with the power of conduction, not just in the regular sense of the word, but in a magical realism sense.He has experienced this power in him during a near death drowning at Lockless, but has never learned how to harness this power at his demand. That all changes when he meets none other than Moses herself, Harriet Tubman while working the underground.I find it very curious to write this conduction business as magical realism(for lack of a better term) because I think it diminishes all the courageous and daring actions taken by those on their way to freedom.It feels dismissive of what one had to endure to reach freedom, and in some ways denies the obvious brilliance and bravery of a Harriet Tubman who chose to return to the coffin(slavery in the Deep South) again and again and..... I love Coates’ writing but I am not enamored with that choice.Having said that, I still enthusiastically recommend this novel, just superbly written with a cast of engaging characters, some intrigue, some thrills, and yes some horror, but not written horrifically( the whispering). I’m certain this book will garner a multitude of discussion and commerce. Ta-Nehisi Coates can now confidently add novelist to his writing career! Thanks to Netgalley and OneWorld-Random House Publishing for an ARC. Book is out 9/24/2019. ### ⭐⭐ Already done, similar magical realism impacting history theme to "Memoirs of the Senator's Wife" *by K***E on Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2019* This book was a little slow, overly verbose and meandering. The magical realism impacting history theme was similar and already done better in a book that came out earlier in the year, "Memoirs of the Senator's Wife." However, "Memoirs" storyline was intricate and interesting."Waters" prose were overly wordy and pretentious at times, leading the reader out of the belief that anyone would ever think in the manner that the character thought. I was a little offended that the hero with "superman powers" was taking some of the credit away from Harriet Tubman who was really the heroine in history. I seriously hope that schools do not use this book in their curriculum, as Black women have few female super heroes as Harriet Tubman was so her accomplishments in anyway being attributed to the hero is not appropriate.I got the impression that many of the positive reviews are probably paid or friends.Although "Waters" did have a few moments they were so few and far between it was hard to make it to the end of the book and was not worth the time it took to read. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An immensely powerful read that is touched by elements of magical realism. *by P***C on Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2019* An epic story of a drive to get north and a chance to help others. The gift that Coates gives to the reader is his language. The illustrative metaphors that help a 21st century reader try to get some semblance of the life of a 19th century slave.Hiram Walker is the son of the master, yet is warned repeatedly that he will never be a part of that life. The life of the house and the inheritance and the love of blood relation, especially after his mother is sold and all memory of her disappears. But, Hi has a gift that will help him throughout his life. A Conduction, a memory that is more powerful than photographic, it is all consuming, all senses. A parlor trick in the House gains him the special attention from his father and he begins his tutoring. An education that puts makes him his white step-brother’s man. With his father ailing, it is up to Hi to protect his wayward brother and the plantation. But Virginia’s tobacco crops are failing and Maynard is a lout. This is beyond what Hi can do. He needs to get out.I will end my plot discussion there because the twists and the turns start and really don’t stop until the end of the novel. It is such a powerful piece of writing. I can say right now that 50 pages in I was thinking that this book would be a great addition to any high school or college English course. Obviously, the subject matter is immensely power, but it is Coates’s writing that makes the story come alive. In one place in the beginning chapters, he creates an analogy of a machine that he uses to describe the production of the plantation in regards to slavery. I know that this may not be a new idea, but his details are so memorable and discerning.I was also struck by the way Coates describes Hi’s place in the hierarchy of the plantation, the family, the slave culture, the state of Virginia, and ultimately the whole United States. Hi describes it to the reader from such a personal point of view and so vividly.My only criticism is that the storytelling and writing was a bit uneven at times. There is a dream-like quality to the first several scenes of the book, but then suddenly the story becomes much more grounded and realistic. It doesn’t depart from this straight style for many chapters and then it was again jarring. It led to confusion and wasn’t signaled in any particular way.Ultimately, The Water Dance is an immensely powerful read that is touched by elements of magical realism. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/135623758-the-water-dancer-oprah-s-book-club-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.us/products/135623758-the-water-dancer-oprah-s-book-club-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-05-21*