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A review by ruth24
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
4.0
Thank you to Penguin Randomhouse Canada and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“What do you say to a woman’s back, your mother’s back? The curve of it, the sloping, sagging flesh of it, was more recognizable to me now than her face, which was once the only thing in the world that I sought out the most.”
I’ve been sitting on this review for about a week. I think this is one of those novels that stays with you for a long time. You can see from the quote above that Gyasi’s writing is striking, but it’s also subtle. It’s really only later, in quiet contemplation, that you realize you’ve read something profound.
Transcendent Kingdom tells the story of a Ghanian-American family. We experience, from Gifty’s point of view, her father’s disappearance back to Ghana, her golden-boy brother Nana’s descent into addiction, and her mother’s depression and suicide attempt. Gyasi handles these tough subjects with eloquence, beauty and sensitivity. At one point, Gifty says, “Though I had never been an addict, addiction, and the avoidance of it, had been running my life.” Ultimately, this is what the story is about: Gifty’s questioning, “Why?” Why did her brother become addicted? Why couldn’t he stop? This question tears at her head and her heart and tore at mine as well.
Also central to the story is Gifty’s exploration of her faith and all of the questions and doubts she has growing up Christian, seeing suffering, being confronted by non-believers, and working in science. I felt this was really well done and it was one of my favourite things about the book. I’m not sure this would appeal to everyone, but I saw a lot of my own experience reflected back to me and loved it because of that.
Transcendent Kingdom is very different from Homegoing, but I think it’ll also be well received. It will make you think. And it will make you feel.
“What do you say to a woman’s back, your mother’s back? The curve of it, the sloping, sagging flesh of it, was more recognizable to me now than her face, which was once the only thing in the world that I sought out the most.”
I’ve been sitting on this review for about a week. I think this is one of those novels that stays with you for a long time. You can see from the quote above that Gyasi’s writing is striking, but it’s also subtle. It’s really only later, in quiet contemplation, that you realize you’ve read something profound.
Transcendent Kingdom tells the story of a Ghanian-American family. We experience, from Gifty’s point of view, her father’s disappearance back to Ghana, her golden-boy brother Nana’s descent into addiction, and her mother’s depression and suicide attempt. Gyasi handles these tough subjects with eloquence, beauty and sensitivity. At one point, Gifty says, “Though I had never been an addict, addiction, and the avoidance of it, had been running my life.” Ultimately, this is what the story is about: Gifty’s questioning, “Why?” Why did her brother become addicted? Why couldn’t he stop? This question tears at her head and her heart and tore at mine as well.
Also central to the story is Gifty’s exploration of her faith and all of the questions and doubts she has growing up Christian, seeing suffering, being confronted by non-believers, and working in science. I felt this was really well done and it was one of my favourite things about the book. I’m not sure this would appeal to everyone, but I saw a lot of my own experience reflected back to me and loved it because of that.
Transcendent Kingdom is very different from Homegoing, but I think it’ll also be well received. It will make you think. And it will make you feel.