The Water Dancer is a novel by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The story follows Hiram Walker, a slave on a tobacco plantation who escapes with the help of the Underground Railroad. Hiram then becomes an operative for the Railroad, working to help free other slaves. The other operatives train Hiram in an apparently supernatural skill known as Conduction, which allows the operatives to transport slaves quickly and stealthily to freedom. The novel explores themes of oppression, memory, community, morality, and resistance.
