Kindred is an old-fashioned word that means family members or blood relations. It's especially important to the themes of this novel because the black female protagonist Dana is actually related to the white male slave-owner Rufus. There are several times in this book when Dana wants to let Rufus die, but she can't because she might stop existing if Rufus doesn't grow up to have children. The term "kindred" is also very common in the old American South where most of this book's plot takes place. Ultimately, the title reminds us of how interconnected our personal histories are with the history of our country, even though we might not always think about it.