Reviews

Gifty, the narrator of this story, was raised by Ghanian immigrant parents in Huntsville, Alabama before heading off to college. The story is split between Gifty's work as a graduate student in neurobiology and flashbacks to her early life. I kept thinking that I should love this book, because I was also raised Evangelical and found it untenable as an adult, and the science of the brain is usually fascinating to me.

But I never could connect with Gifty. It occurred to me toward the end that it's like reading the diary of a depressed person-- the whole thing is flat, like she's forcing herself to tell a story that she doesn't have the energy to tell. A few moments, like the chapter about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, were exactly what I hoped for. But the ending felt tacked on, as if she just got tired of writing and boom! there you go. I'm glad I read it, and if it hadn't been for the ending, I might even have rounded it up to five stars— the writing and the way she weaves everything together are great. But it just never quite worked. Thought-provoking, but for me as a reader, not entirely successful.

abbiegregory's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

heathercottledillon's review against another edition

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5.0

Simply stunning. No sophomore slump for Yaa Gyasi! "Transcendent Kingdom" is very different from "Homegoing" but has the same beautiful and very effective writing. Every word, phrase, and sentence is perfectly crafted. The thought, emotion, and story in so few pages is incredible. This is the best fiction I've read this year.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the advance copy!