If you like the Colour purple by Alice Walker and science fiction, you will probably love this book. 

Octavia Butler is really good  writer. The very graphic depiction of slavery definitely makes this uncomfortable read but also an important one. learnt at lot about the antebellum period in the south.

My only qualms are that Kevin perhaps needed more personality, 
Personally I think the lack of explanation of why she is time travelling is good as it adds to Dana’s frustration.

However, I find it interesting facts without mentioning it directly that the only reason Dana didn’t try to kill Rufus before Haggar was born is because of the grandfather paradox.

I do quite dislike how the book choice to humanise Rufus, as being “a man of his time”, when he is a slave, master and rapist. Dana tolerates his behaviour (rape, selling & whipping slaves) until he tries to rape her. 
I know this wouldn’t have worked, but the idea of Dana telling Rufus that he is her great great grandfather would’ve definitely been interesting.

especially at the beginning, and even before the time travelling, there was very little chemistry, show between them, their supposed to be newlyweds freshly moved in together. She rejected to marry him multiple times, and then eventually accepted he should be overjoyed.