"Our mothers were pregnant African women thrown overboard while crossing the Atlantic Ocean on slave ships. We were born breathing water as we did in the womb... Tonight, we remember. "
The Deep by clipping.
The Deep by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes.
Hardcover: 176
Year: 2019
Publisher: Gallery / Saga Press
In this book, based on the song of the same name by the group clipping., we follow the past and present of the wajinru, or song/chorus of the deep. These are mermaid-like descendants of pregnant slave women thrown overboard of the ships by slavers during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. It is a fantasy Afrofuturistic tale that blends memory, history, and mythology to bring us a perfect story not only with a different twist on what mermaids can be but also on how important memories are to shaping who we are.
"A historian's role was to carry the memories so other wajinru wouldn't have to." Pg. 8
The story mainly follows Yetu, who is the historian of the wajinru, whose duty is to hold the memories, all 600-years of it, of her ancestors and reveal them once a year to all of her people so they may experience it before they forget it once more. But the weight of these memories is destroying her and she flees to the surface. The book then shifts from Yetu's perspective to the past and vice versa. From the history of their creation and why their culture is this way to the lives of other historians to Yetu's present, heavily hinting at what Yetu must do, not only to give her people their identity but to save them and humans from what will come to pass.
"Forgetting was not the same as healing." Pg. 28
Not only is the writing of this story beautiful, but it made me really think about the importance that familial and cultural memory has in shaping who we become. What was originally marketed as a simple story about black mermaids morphed into a story of resilience and self-reflection (and a metaphor for history's constant effect on today) told through the medium of mythology and oral tradition,
I do wish the book had illustrations. This is the kind of story that will benefit and thrive off of illustrations of the characters, the underwater cities, the events. Solomon's writing is so vivid that I can clearly see the images of what they are depicting, and I wish I had the artistic skill to draw them myself and put them out there for everyone else. If anyone ever does, please let me know.
I highly recommend this story, it is not the ode to the sea I wanted, but it was very close. It is short and to the point, but it still manages to deliver a rich history of these mythological descendants. After thoroughly enjoying this story, I am extremely excited to read this author's other book. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Head over to the end of the review (after recommendations) for spoilers and favourite parts!
★★★★
If you like this book, you should read: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
I received this book from Gallery/Saga Press via Goodreads Giveaway.
SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT!!!
If they ever write a book solely based on Basha and Ephras I will have a heart attack. I only got one chapter of them here and it was not enough. Their story is the type of romance I would read even though that is one of my least favourite genres. How they cherish each other, respect each other, and work together to achieve their goal. Basha's rage is justified, but Ephras is the opposite, the calm to her wrath.
Yetu being a horny mermaid for most of chapter 7. Her curiosity though was endearing.
I loved how there are snippets of what humans have done to the deep sea, from mass extinctions to drilling for oil and the effects it had on the lives of the mermaids. I would have loved to know more about the whales and the war against two-legs after they destroyed the wajinru's homes drilling for oil.
I want to know if Oori's people are somehow derived from Yoruba people, I did not get enough information to figure out who her people, the Oshuben, were.
Yetu is depressed, the weight of the memories is heavy on her shoulders and it shows.