A review by sandro_reads
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • 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

Homegoing is an ambitious generational saga that begins with two sisters, Effia and Esi, unknown to one another in Africa in the 1700s. Each chapter then follows a subsequent descendant covering such topics as colonialism in Africa, the slave trade, and racism in the Jim Crow south to 1980s Harlem. 

Yaa Gyasi has a matter-of-fact writing style and the format can lend itself to read more like a collection of short stories. But, the power of Homegoing lies in the totality of the book over some of its individual chapters. 

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