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gm_vak's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Trafficking, and Violence
eloiseisreading's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia, Infertility, and Adult/minor relationship
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is almost like a collection of short stories, with the thread of a family line connecting them to each other. And I loved following that line, seeing how what happened to their ancestors affected the new characters, and how so much of our lives are decided just by virtue of what family we’re born into.
It was an excellent book to listen to—though I am forever grateful for the PDF of the family tree that is included because I was referring to it constantly!
I loved Transcendent Kingdom by this author, but I think I loved this one even more, just because I’ve never read anything like this book. I’m excited for whatever Yaa Gyasi writes next!
Read if you like: character-driven stories, generational sagas, family trees, missed connections.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, and Rape
musewithxara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Hate crime, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Drug abuse
kmtd's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Slavery, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Rape, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Physical abuse
caprivoyant's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
At the start of the book, Gyasi writes an Akan proverb that translates to:
"The family is like the forest: if you are outside it is dense; if you are inside you see that each tree has its own position."
I can't help but wonder if this proverb is what inspired this story in the first place because it is just that perfect.
This book spans 8 generations across 2 family lines, and for each person, you get a small peek into their life—into their place in something greater than themselves. Gyasi does a brilliant job of inviting you in and capturing the essence of each person's life in small clips while still moving the family's story along: it felt like a compilation of short stories that make up one brilliant novel (a bunch of individually awe-inspiring trees that make up a beautiful forest).
I will say, there were times in this book where I wanted more information about each of the individual family members. I wanted to see how they healed (or didn't) from certain life challenges, so I really had to pull myself back a few times and remember that this book was meant to be the lineage's story (not the individual's). That was hard at times, but helped me enjoy the read more in the end.
I read this as a buddy read which, turns out, was a really great choice. This book is only ~300 pages, but each chapter packs a punch, and being able to pace this book out and having space to process it with another thoughtful/empathic human helped to integrate this book in a way that I'm not sure would have happened on my own.
It was a beautiful, emotional novel that made me feel like my heart was melting and being molded back together all at once. Highly recommend if you're in a deep-feeling kind of reading mood.
Please note: I didn't take notes on content warnings as I was reading, so please don't use the ones in my review as an exhaustive list. This book covers a lot of hard and triggering topics, though, including those I listed in my review. If you are thinking of picking up this book (especially if you're in a sensitive emotional space) please, please, please 🙏🏻 make a plan to care for your emotions while reading this.
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Trafficking, Rape, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Child death, Murder, and Death of parent
mitzireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Violence
maggiekateb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Slavery, Torture, Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, and Child death
lorenag5's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, and Violence
jayisreading's review against another edition
5.0
Homegoing is raw and emotional. While some may not be thrilled that each chapter are essentially like vignettes, I find that this approach precisely captures what Gyasi wants the reader to experience: a haunting full of unresolved ache.
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Infertility, Infidelity, and Suicidal thoughts