Reviews - Black Cake | The StoryGraph

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11.1k reviews for:

Black Cake

Charmaine Wilkerson

4.13 AVERAGE

kelscurls80's review against another edition

4.0

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

mkemammamegan's review against another edition

4.0

Chewy

laura__m's review

4.0

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

bloomerism's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative 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

And what about a person’s life? How do you make a map of that? The borders people draw between themselves. The scars left along the ground of one’s heart.

I finished this book a month ago and realized I never wrote a review... better late than never, right? I really enjoyed this. I had to read over half of it in one sitting because I, like a fool, put it off until the night before book club. Luckily, that didn't stop me from really enjoying this. When estranged siblings Byron and Benny are forced into a reunion by their mother Eleanor's death and her final request (that they listen to an 8-hour recording she left explaining her life), the reader is taken on a journey that started decades ago. Through this journey, the author takes the opportunity to weave various themes of post-colonial life, diaspora, and how these things can emerge in food and culture.

I really enjoyed Benny's story, which was interspersed along with Byron's between the flashback chapters focusing on Eleanor's life. She felt like a very relatable character to me, and I really enjoyed hearing her perspective on her mother's life and the rest of her family, as someone who was estranged from them but still cared. This book led to some great discussion in the book club I facilitated, so if you're looking for your next book club book, consider this one! The author also put together a handy dandy discussion guide (including a recipe for black cake!) to make things easier. Thanks Charmaine!