Despite his gift, Hiram finds that his memory fails when trying to reconstruct recollections of his mother, who was sold when he was young. All of the white people, regardless of their status or education, are “the Quality.” All of the black people, also regardless of their status or education, are “the Tasked.” The world itself still holds the geographical landscapes of pre–Civil War America, but the language of the land and the abilities of a few of its occupants are unique, or enhanced. A reader is to understand that Walker is among a class of people who serve as slaves, though due to the narrative being situated in an altered universe, the language Coates uses around slavery is also altered. The story is told by Hiram Walker, a young boy born on a plantation in Virginia called Lockless. So it is unsurprising that the first novel by Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Water Dancer, focuses on a character whose photographic memory is almost a superpower. Inevitably, the work of pulling America closer to the idea of reparations for the descendants of slaves is also the work of fighting against America’s eagerness to forget, or the nation’s desire to rearrange history to suit its needs. The Water Dancer, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, One World, 403 pages, $28
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