Israel Daramola

Over time, as I’ve watched society slowly try to cave in on itself, I’ve thought more and more about “Parable Of The Sower”. The gripping apocalyptic novel by Octavia Butler follows life in a futuristic, codeless hellscape through the eyes of a 16 year old black girl named Lauren. The book follows her day to day life in a world of ever increasing uncertainty; where none are sure whether today will be their last, and whatever innocence remains in the lives of her and the other children are slowly being shredded away. What really makes Sower worthwhile is how it handles the major themes of life that we grapple with daily: survival, strength, love, sex, family and, at the forefront, religion. Butler’s ruminations through the eyes of a young girl are engrossing, chilling and poetic–and the book itself is a magnetic deconstruction of the “comfortable” society built for us. Personally, I’ve thought about this book a lot as I’ve watched the world slowly eat itself, bit by bit, each day; finding the story it lays out even scarier. If you’re interested in finding a new book to read, this is definitely one to add to the list.