The Deep is about mermaids, basically, that are descendants of pregnant African slave women that were tossed overboard during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The pregnant women were thrown overboard because they were in labor, and I guess that wasn’t worth the effort for the slave traders. Somehow, maybe it was magic or maybe it was the ocean, the babies that were born could breathe underwater. Once they found more of one another, they coalesced into a group of people called the wajinru. At one point, the first “strange fish” decides that there is too much trauma in their history for everyone to remember and takes on the entirety of the wajinru’s memories, becoming their first historian. From their death, one individual is chosen to be the historian at a time. This story picks up with the current historian, Yetu, who is particularly affected by the rememberings. Unable to accept it, she unleashes the memories on her people and swims away from home, toward the surface. This book is a journey of self-acceptance that gives a lot of The Giver vibes, while maintaining a unique, creative, and moving narrative.
What do you think about the role of Historian in the wajinru society? Why is it critical that everyone but the Historian forget the history? Did the original Historian’s decision help or hinder the growth of their community? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in episode 16 of our spoiler-filled podcast.
Questions: The questions discussed in this episode are a part of the Reader’s Guide in the back of the book, which was written by the publisher (Saga Press). You can also find them on the Brooklyn Public Library website. → https://www.bklynlibrary.org/sites/default/files/documents/BOOK CLUB KITS/THE DEEP_BKLYN BOOK CLUB KIT_FINAL.pdf
Great music huh?! The music for the intro and outro are segments from a song titled "Busy City" by TrackTribe, which was accessed through the YouTube audio library.
Coming up next: All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
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