The Water Dancer
- 416
- Pages
- about 8 h
- Reading time
- NYT bestseller · 9 weeks on the list, peaked at #1
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About the book
The Water Dancer is the debut novel by Ta-Nehisi Coates, published on September 24, 2019, by Random House under its One World imprint. It is a surrealist story set in the pre-Civil War South, concerning a superhuman protagonist named Hiram Walker who possesses a photographic memory, but who cannot remember his mother. He learns he has a special ability known as "conduction", with which he is able to transport people—including himself—over long distances. Conduction is powered by his memories and storytelling, and can fold the Earth like fabric, allowing travel across large areas via waterways.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.1 across 183 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 55% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Fantasy average of 8.0. That is how 8.0 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 8.1 | 183 | 100% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“It's rare I read a slavery narrative that feels fresh, but this book is truly unlike any I've read before. The same powerful, poetic voice of Between the World and Me is thick and beautiful throughout. The first-person perspective is so strong as to be…”
“This book is unintentionally timely. About a slave who is kidnapped into the underground railroad because of his abilities to move people with a power called conduction, this book is heavy and sad. But also disjointed. It's not a style of writing that I enjoy…”
Frequently asked
How long is The Water Dancer?
It has 416 pages — shorter than 72% of the ranked books in Fantasy.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Fantasy — and a score of 8.0, the closest to this book.
