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rosalind's review against another edition
‘In my village we have a saying about separated sisters. They are like a woman and her reflection, doomed to stay on opposite sides of the pond.’
I’m in a peculiar position because I cannot say I enjoyed this book, but I feel that it was, unequivocally, a 5-star read. One reviewer on here said it made one of the strongest conceivable cases for reparations and black rage, and I agree. This book made me sick to my stomach multiple times. At times I didn’t know how or if I could finish it. But that’s kinda the point. Through the stories contained within this book, Yaa Gyasi has breathed personhood back into history, removing impediments to empathy and reporting the horror of what people with my skin colour are responsible for. The prose is perfectly chosen, parsimonious yet evocative, frank about suffering without embellishment.
I’m generally not good at very sad storylines because I’m an ✨empath✨ who is ✨highly sensitive✨ with a very susceptible imagination. As a result, sometimes I find stories tough to shake off at the end of a reading session. But it feels right in this case; I want these stories to live in my memory, because they represent so many souls whose time was snatched, made torturous, wasted, ruined, eviscerated, at the hands of colonisers and their descendants. I do not want to forget.
In terms of the writing, I did find it a bit hard to keep up with who was who, especially in the first half of the novel, and was very grateful for the family tree to consult in the front of the book. One could almost call ‘Homegoing’ a collection of interconnected short stories or vignettes, which I think would have been helpful to know going in. Similarly, it only dawned on me towards the last few chapters re. the running themes of fire and water as polar opposites yet fellow elements, equal in their capacity for destruction and redemption. I’d recommend looking out for those through-lines; part of me wants to re-read it so I can better appreciate these connections. But I know I just can’t face it. As I’ve said about some of the most impactful work I’ve consumed in my life: I’m very grateful I read it, and I hope never to see it again.
Graphic: Trafficking, Confinement, Colonisation, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Excrement, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail
grace_lola14's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Minor: Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Slavery
s_zoe_k05's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Slavery, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Gore, and Grief
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual assault
amanda_hook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
sarahlizzie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Hate crime, Infertility, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Rape, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
sunnie_'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? No
5.0
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Hate crime, and Racism
annieinthearchives's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
eloiseisreading's review against another edition
- 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
cuppa_curiositea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, and Trafficking
mablayy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Excrement, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Hate crime, Violence, and Racial slurs
Minor: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence