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The Deep cover art

The Deep

By: Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes
Narrated by: Daveed Diggs
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Summary

The water-breathing descendants of African slave women tossed overboard have built their own underwater society - and must reclaim the memories of their past to shape their future in this brilliantly imaginative novella inspired by the Hugo Award-nominated song 'The Deep' from Daveed Diggs' rap group Clipping.  

Yetu holds the memories for her people - water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners - who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one - the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.  

Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations and the responsibilities - and discovers a world her people left behind long ago. 

Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past - and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they'll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity - and own who they really are. 

Inspired by a song produced by the rap group Clipping for the This American Life episode 'We Are in the Future', The Deep is vividly original and uniquely affecting.

©2019 Rivers Soloman (P)2019 Simon & Schuster Audio

What listeners say about The Deep

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  • Overall
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A must read for the Black diaspora

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. 𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡.

Whew. This was the first title for my reading challenge and it was incredible!

Loosely based on mermaid folklore, this aptly named work explores the connection between history and identity, and the constant struggle between individualism and collectivism.

There are multiple levels to this story and will mean different things to different people. For me, this was an astonishingly moving look at the effects of disconnection from our history for the Black diaspora, and what could happen if that reconnection were made.

There is also a satisfying mother-daughter relationship arc and another connection story that transcends every barrier.

Beautiful story, with a fantastic reader, if you like Audible.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting interpretation of the transatlantic slave trade.

Interesting interpretation of the impact and possibilities due to transatlantic slave trade - must read and innovative concept.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

mesmerising

So beautiful and powerful, poetic and moving. Sad and sweet and deals with a lot of traumatic things obviously. A lot of overwhelm descriptions that really resonated as an autistic person.
And plural pronouns feel very affirming

Queer relationships and different gender representation!

Wonderful narration really makes the story come alive

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very interesting story and well read

very much transported into another world, it's well written and read. Diggs' voice is calming but engaging. The story is rooted in real life which really brings the sinister side of history into play but manages to create an amazing world and viewpoint. Not many stories about mermaids are so interesting or have considered origins so well.

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painfully beautiful

I want another 300 pages. beautifully written and told.

I haven't stopped thinking about the mains.

no sequel needed. this story will forever live in my heart.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

short but well written

A narrative that is more than simply a story. it has multiple dimensions that warrants further study.

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