Parable of the talents

In her longest and arguably greatest novel, the long-awaited "Parable of the Talents," Octavia Butler revisits her familiar themes of alienation and transcendence, violence and spirituality, separation and community in the shockingly familiar, broken world of 2032. "Parable of the Talents" continues the story which began in "Parable of the Sower." That novel's heroine, Lauren, now has a daughter, and "Parable of the Talents" is told from the daughter's point of view.

A new government is in power, led by a far-right religious crusader as president, and wars are fought throughout the North American continent.This is a book about a society whose very fabric has been torn and where the basic physical and emotional needs of people seem almost impossible to meet. And yet human life oddly thrives as the young Lauren of "Parable of the Sower" here blossoms into a complex and credible woman.