A review by beca_reads
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I wish I could give this book more than five stars, this may be one of the best books I read this year; I am now also looking forward to the TV adaptation, I think it will translate well to the screen. This book packs a punch, Eleanor leaves a tape for her two children Benny and Byron to listen to and passes a long a Black cake for them to share when the time is right. The tape entails Eleanor's past and secret's that her children have no idea about. Over the course of listening to the tape both children feel complicated emotions, as they start to learn more of their mothers story and the event's she lived through. This book is heart-breaking and explores themes of family, identity, racism, regret, and forgiveness. This book should be savoured, I purposefully choose to take my time reading it, and I know I will come to this book in the future. 
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