It in itself is a kind of descendant, a product of the oeuvre of the musical duo Drexciya and the resulting song “The Deep” by the hip hop group Clipping (who helped Solomon with this book). Not to mention, it’s a delightful work of remix. It makes us ask the question, who should carry the weight of this history, and how? Would it be better to give up knowledge, when it hurts to know? However, this book isn’t negative about these ideas rather, it implores that we learn about our own heritages, no matter how painful, and share them with others to obtain a better understanding. This book frames ideas of racial trauma and history as a literal burden, which causes the bearer a lot of pain. She grapples with concepts of identity and attraction and legacy in a well-written character arc that ties in perfectly to the themes of this book.Īnd truly, the themes are brilliant. Yetu’s journey, both physically and emotionally, is touching. This is an engaging novella, with a compelling underwater universe and intriguing lore. So at the first opportunity, she abandons the other Wajinru and flees to the surface to find out who she is, on her own. Yetu has been Historian since she was a teenager, but by now the task is weighing on her to the point of harm. Now, one of them carries all the memories of their people-the Historian. They are descended from the women thrown overboard off slave ships, and they have evolved into beings that resemble fish. The Deep by Rivers Solomon tells of the Wajinru, who dwell deep in the ocean.
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