I am so glad that I reread this. When I first read it in 2012, I don't believe I fully appreciated it. Now not only am I surprised at things I hadn't noticed, like how Olamina and one other family who shall not be named in order to avoid spoiling this review, had ancestors in the 60s who chose to rename themselves with African names, and I knew some people who had done that. Also the way Octavia Butler imagines the United States continuing in it's slide but much faster, and showing us as living much the same way refugees from South America are living, hopefully can build empathy in more Americans. And the cliffhanger ending is amazing. Both moving, complete, and yet still a cliffhanger. Incredible.