Posted on September 24, 2019 at 11:30 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
The Water Dancer was already a buzzworthy book, it being the debut novel from acclaimed writer Ta-Nehisi Coates.
But yesterday morning, it skyrocketed to a new level of fame as Oprah Winfrey declared it to be her new book club’s first selection.
On CBS This Morning, as she announced the pick, she said The Water Dancer is “one of the best books I have ever read in my entire life. Right up there in the top five.”
The novel, published today, tells the story of a slave named Hiram Walker who loses his memory of his mother when she’s sold but gains a mysterious power that saves his life.
When Hiram realizes he has this gift, it inspires him to make a daring escape from slavery.
Coates is the award-winning author of several noteworthy works of nonfiction, including Between the World and Me and The Case for Reparations, but The Water Dancer is his first novel.
You can read or watch more from Winfrey’s announcement on the CBS website and check out an excerpt from The Water Dancer as well.
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Categories: Today in Books