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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
Transcendent Kingdom baffled me because it was so intimate and raw that I kept forgetting that I was reading a novel instead of observing a deeply personal memoir. I loved Homegoing so much that I picked up Transcendent Kingdom without knowledge of the book’s subject matter or reviews. I don’t even think I read the back cover until the first time I had to double check that it wasn’t a memoir! This novel weaves together the present of Gifty, a Stanford Med student preparing for her neuroscience post-doc on addiction, and her past where she grapples with memories of her brother’s opioid addiction and her mother’s depression. Together, the past and present showcase the struggles of immigrant identity, first-generation Ghanaian American identities, evangelical faith, and concepts of family and community.
If you have family members who struggle with addiction or depression, or any other mental health condition, this novel will be challenging. However, this is not a warning against the novel. I found Gifty’s perspectives and questions of self while being an active participant alongside her family’s struggles proved helpful for the reflections it provoked for my own perspectives and experiences.
I highly recommend this novel for it’s masterful writing and Gyasi’s fascinating creation of worldviews contrasted by culture, age, and learning.
If you have family members who struggle with addiction or depression, or any other mental health condition, this novel will be challenging. However, this is not a warning against the novel. I found Gifty’s perspectives and questions of self while being an active participant alongside her family’s struggles proved helpful for the reflections it provoked for my own perspectives and experiences.
I highly recommend this novel for it’s masterful writing and Gyasi’s fascinating creation of worldviews contrasted by culture, age, and learning.
emotional
reflective
medium-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
emotional
reflective
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated