Black Cake
2022 • 400 pages
Ratings36
Average rating4.2
15
Ratings36
Average rating4.2
THE INSTANT NO. 2 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **Featured on Barack Obama's Summer Reading List 2022** **A Grazia Instagram 'IT' book to watch out for** Everyone wants to discover what they're made of . . . Juggling lives and crossing continents, BLACK CAKE is the extraordinary story of how the inheritance of secrets, betrayal and memories can shape a family for generations 'A story as meaningful as it is delicious. At turns delightfully juicy and then stunningly wise, Black Cake is a winner' TAYLOR JENKINS REID 'A roiling soup of family secrets, big lies, great loves, bright colours and strong smells' NEW YORK TIMES 'The scenes are so well drawn I could almost taste the cake. My heart broke and was put back together. Bravo' NIKKI MAY, author of Wahala A PRIMA BOOK OF THE YEAR ________ Eleanor Bennett won't let her secrets die with her . . . When Eleanor's estranged children Benny and Byron reunite for her funeral, they receive an unexpected inheritance. First, a traditional Caribbean black cake, to remind them of their roots. Second, the story of a decades-old murder that shatters everything they thought they knew about their mother. But as Benny and Byron unravel their family's troubled past, will the truth push them further apart? Or will it reunite them and fulfil Eleanor's final wish? ________ **Soon to be a major drama series for Hulu by Oprah Winfrey, Aaron Kaplan and Marissa Jo Cerar** 'A testimony to how migration, memories and the life decisions of our elders can trickle down the generations and shape us . . . I couldn't get enough!' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, 'BOOKS OF THE YEAR' 'I loved the brilliant writing, the characters and the clever and beautiful way the story melded together. A stunning book' PRIMA, 'BOOK OF THE MONTH' 'A special, beautifully written novel that's as rich and intoxicating as the Jamaican rum cake of its title' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'I [. . .] was immediately drawn in' BONNIE GARMUS, bestselling author of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY 'A heartfelt story of loss, lies and reconciliation' DAILY MAIL 'A sparkling debut, which examines migration, estrangement and the stories we tell about ourselves' METRO 'An extremely assured debut which pulls in threads and echoes from across the Caribbean diaspora to deliver a rich, complex and really satisfying novel' ALISON FINCH, BBC Radio 4 'I was instantly taken in by this multi-generational tale of identity, family, and the lifelong push and pull of home. This novel has a tremendous heart at its centre, and I felt its beat on every page. What an extraordinary debut' MARY BETH KEANE, author of Ask Again, Yes
Reviews with the most likes.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a story of family secrets, what we will do for our children and to protect those we hold most dear, and finding ourselves in the midst of expectations that are placed on us by society, family, and community.
The structure of the book is a dual timeline, but is cleverly done in a way that doesn't give the reader whiplash from one storyline to the next. The short chapters and back and forth reads very smoothly, and adds to the story rather than distracting the reader.
The themes of family, inheritance, motherhood, race, emmigration, and grief are intertwined in a tale that has the reader rooting for the characters.
Great book club pick, and the author has a book club kit with a spotify playlist and recipes included!
I found it a little hard to get into initially but once I did I had to keep reading to see what would happen.
This is a beautiful book about families and mistakes and triumphs and traditions. It shows us the negative effects of racism and colonialism and sexism, but it doesn't let the characters drown in it. There is hope for overcoming and having a better future. There are hurts and mistakes made, but there is also forgiveness and second chances. This might be one of my top books for 2022.
