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liddydoyle's review against another edition
5.0
It's not always easy to write, or talk, about topics like addiction with grace and dignity. I feel lucky to have found Gyasi's story, which allowed me to come away with a little more understanding and empathy.
If I had known that this book covered addiction, depression, religion, and science, my preconceived notions would have come along for the ride. I don't know if I would have been so eager to pick it up in the face of so many heavy topics. Going in blind allowed the journey to unfold piece by piece in a way that was riveting, but not overwhelming. Bottom line: it sounds heavy, but it's worth the journey. Pick it up!
It's human, heartbreaking, and so real. The writing is *chef kiss*. There is beautiful and thoughtful sentence structure with subtle world play that will have you reaching for your pen and journal every few pages.
I loved following Gifty's growth as she reconciled her childhood piety with her neuroscience career, and slowly poked holes in the dichotomy of religion and science.
If I had known that this book covered addiction, depression, religion, and science, my preconceived notions would have come along for the ride. I don't know if I would have been so eager to pick it up in the face of so many heavy topics. Going in blind allowed the journey to unfold piece by piece in a way that was riveting, but not overwhelming. Bottom line: it sounds heavy, but it's worth the journey. Pick it up!
It's human, heartbreaking, and so real. The writing is *chef kiss*. There is beautiful and thoughtful sentence structure with subtle world play that will have you reaching for your pen and journal every few pages.
I loved following Gifty's growth as she reconciled her childhood piety with her neuroscience career, and slowly poked holes in the dichotomy of religion and science.
common1's review against another edition
3.0
Good, solid novel but not a great novel. Interesting contemplations of religion, science, addiction, family dynamics, depression, culture, race... whoa, there's a lot going on here. Well written with solid character development but I dunno, perhaps a bit overhyped. Seems as though I'm reading a lot of novels lately that are good but very few that reach the level of greatness that will drive readership for years to come. In short, good but mostly forgettable.
fbarrett1855's review against another edition
5.0
This was assigned reading for a class I am currently taking, so when I purchased it, I initially approached it thinking that I would skim read it to absorb just enough detail to be able to lightly participate in the class discussion. That being said, I didn't make it past the first page before being completely enthralled by Gyasi's voice and Gifty's story.
I read this entire novel in one sitting, something I haven't done in ages. Though our stories are vastly different in many ways, I felt a deep connection to Gifty, particularly through her relationships with her family. Gyasi's prose is captivating, elegiac, and haunting. There was not a single page in Transcendent Kingdom that I did not love, nor a moment that I felt comfortable stopping at. This is the single best book I have read in 2024. Immediately purchased Homecoming to continue my reading of the author's body of work.
I read this entire novel in one sitting, something I haven't done in ages. Though our stories are vastly different in many ways, I felt a deep connection to Gifty, particularly through her relationships with her family. Gyasi's prose is captivating, elegiac, and haunting. There was not a single page in Transcendent Kingdom that I did not love, nor a moment that I felt comfortable stopping at. This is the single best book I have read in 2024. Immediately purchased Homecoming to continue my reading of the author's body of work.
petenewlove's review against another edition
4.0
Gyasi can beautifully weave the experiences of many conflicting worlds all together.
pamjsa's review against another edition
4.0
Slow, meditative, beautifully written and deeply moving. I found myself quickly becoming invested in Gifty's search for meaning within the chaos of her life--for the answers that so often aren't available. An excellent read for anyone intrigued by matters of faith and their intersections with science.
kikijo's review against another edition
5.0
This book was heavy but resplendent. It resonated well as someone who grew up in the evangelical church - but, unlike Gifty, was blessed to worship God amongst other Black folks. We could fellowship and discuss the nature of Christ while simultaneously providing a safe space, free from the white world we worked and lived in.
This novel, fraught with tension due to the fractured mother-daughter relationship, the questioning of the presence and very essence of God and science (which, I believe, can walk alongside faith in Christ). It discusses Black women being ignored in the medical field. Our health nothing but a mere speck to white scientists and doctors. It deals with grief. Addiction. Immigration. Being Black in a land that is not yours. A land you could never call home.
Highly recommend.
This novel, fraught with tension due to the fractured mother-daughter relationship, the questioning of the presence and very essence of God and science (which, I believe, can walk alongside faith in Christ). It discusses Black women being ignored in the medical field. Our health nothing but a mere speck to white scientists and doctors. It deals with grief. Addiction. Immigration. Being Black in a land that is not yours. A land you could never call home.
Highly recommend.
the_hill's review against another edition
5.0
A brilliant premise for a book—a woman navigating through the grief over losing her brother to addiction and dealing with her mother’s depression and trying to find “answers” through her work. Her entire career is consumed by that grief and it’s so smartly written. I found myself identifying so much with Gifty. What I loved most about this book is that it’s so unassuming. It hits in surprising ways. Highly recommend!
rhi4794's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.0
michele_mcgowen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 (GOODREADS! Give us 1/2 star options!)
I felt like I was reading a memoir (it's not) and when I remembered it was fiction I was startled. I could relate to many of the characters, and ultimately was disappointed that easy epiphanies to life - accessing joy, avoiding pain, sorrow, grief - didn't magically appear. Or did they, in the slow lonely journey of searching? Hard to say.
The book ended oddly, with a brief summary of the main character's future life circumstance that was a HUGE leap from her current/booklong circumstance and mental space, leaving me wondering Well How the HELL did she get to THAT place?
I felt like I was reading a memoir (it's not) and when I remembered it was fiction I was startled. I could relate to many of the characters, and ultimately was disappointed that easy epiphanies to life - accessing joy, avoiding pain, sorrow, grief - didn't magically appear. Or did they, in the slow lonely journey of searching? Hard to say.
The book ended oddly, with a brief summary of the main character's future life circumstance that was a HUGE leap from her current/booklong circumstance and mental space, leaving me wondering Well How the HELL did she get to THAT place?
echoes_and_glitter's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve read a few profoundly thought provoking novels this year, but novels that touch and talk to me like Transcendent Kingdom are extremely rare.
So many moments I asked myself, “How does this writer know me?” Other times I silently learned about the truly heavy weight of grief and black womanhood and black immigrant living that I have/will never experienced.
I needed to read this. For so many reasons.
Thank you, Yaa Gyasi.
So many moments I asked myself, “How does this writer know me?” Other times I silently learned about the truly heavy weight of grief and black womanhood and black immigrant living that I have/will never experienced.
I needed to read this. For so many reasons.
Thank you, Yaa Gyasi.