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A review by queer_bookwyrm
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
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? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: child/domestic abuse, chattel slavery, racism, racial slurs, whipping, rape/sexual assault, suicide, IV drug use (heroin)
"He would never truly know who his people were, who their people were before them, and if there were stories to be heard about where he had come from, he would never hear them."
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is a historical fiction saga that follows two half sisters that were separated and never met, in 1700s Ghana, and is told through a series of short stories. It was really nice reading a historical fiction book that wasn't centered on the American or European experience. This is perfect for fans of Chinua Achebe.
We follow the lines of Effia and Esi, the first who married a white man and stayed in Africa, and the second who was enslaved and eventually brought to the American South. I loved the way these stories wove together and had similar themes. Each child's story seemed to parallel each other.
The big themes if this book were the loss of ancestry knowledge and family history and generational trauma. Each generation felt the loss of at least one parent and although they didn't know their family histories, they still embodied the trauma that was passed down through their DNA.
Another big theme here was the importance of oral storytelling to keep family history. We see our characters feeling lonely, displaced, and unmoored after generations of slavery and loss. The story came full circle at the end and felt satisfying as we see the last generation begin their healing.
I highly recommend this book if you want to read about family sagas and slavery through the lens of an Ghanian instead through a European or American lens. I will be checking out more of Gyasi's work!
"He would never truly know who his people were, who their people were before them, and if there were stories to be heard about where he had come from, he would never hear them."
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is a historical fiction saga that follows two half sisters that were separated and never met, in 1700s Ghana, and is told through a series of short stories. It was really nice reading a historical fiction book that wasn't centered on the American or European experience. This is perfect for fans of Chinua Achebe.
We follow the lines of Effia and Esi, the first who married a white man and stayed in Africa, and the second who was enslaved and eventually brought to the American South. I loved the way these stories wove together and had similar themes. Each child's story seemed to parallel each other.
The big themes if this book were the loss of ancestry knowledge and family history and generational trauma. Each generation felt the loss of at least one parent and although they didn't know their family histories, they still embodied the trauma that was passed down through their DNA.
Another big theme here was the importance of oral storytelling to keep family history. We see our characters feeling lonely, displaced, and unmoored after generations of slavery and loss. The story came full circle at the end and felt satisfying as we see the last generation begin their healing.
I highly recommend this book if you want to read about family sagas and slavery through the lens of an Ghanian instead through a European or American lens. I will be checking out more of Gyasi's work!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, and Violence