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A review by dejnozkova
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was an addicting read —one of the fastest completion times I’ve had this year. The book follows the lineages of two sisters —one line following the story of slavery into America, while the other line remains home in Ghana, quite literally scarred from the events that severed the family. You follow each lineage generation by generation, parent to child, over several lifetimes.
Yaa Gyasi manages to write beautiful characterizations of each of her protagonists despite each only holding the spotlight for a chapter. In the beginning I was worried that the constant changes between characters would end up confusing me but Gyasi makes the transitions effortless by weaving the end of a character’s chapter into the beginning of the next family member’s chapter.
The most remarkable thing about this book is how Gyasi is able to communicate the tremendous scope of trauma caused by the slave trade and the domino-effect of suffering that continues to the present-day for both descendants of slaves and the descendants of those who stayed on the Gold Coast. She tells two very distinct stories to paint the picture of a larger narrative of loss, loneliness, oppression, perseverance, family, and love. There is a passage where one of her characters remarks how difficult it is to tell the history of Black America when every issue and event bleeds into another until the plot becomes so great and so vast that it is hard to coherently explain. But in just 300 pages Yaa Gyasi captures the essence of the damage that has permeated the histories of so many families, with scars that run generations-upon-generations deep.
I think this book can reach many audiences in different ways. Gold Coast Africans and African-Americans both have their histories told in a way that is sentimental, heartfelt, and compassionate, bringing to light the pain felt by all African descendants, although in varying ways. I also think this book is great for people who have not had to carry the burden of such a dark history on their backs, and whose families have not had to shoulder such a burden for centuries; a lot of people do not realize that the events of the past have a rippled effect on the people of the present, even generations later.
Overall a very beautifully written book with great care of the stories of the people while keeping an eye fixed on the greater picture. Yaa Gyasi is a captivating and clever storyteller. Usually I love character-driven novels but I feel like this was largely more plot-driven when you consider the scope she is attempting to capture. But by no means do I think this takes away from her characters, as she portrays them with care and nuance to effectively drive her narratives.
Yaa Gyasi manages to write beautiful characterizations of each of her protagonists despite each only holding the spotlight for a chapter. In the beginning I was worried that the constant changes between characters would end up confusing me but Gyasi makes the transitions effortless by weaving the end of a character’s chapter into the beginning of the next family member’s chapter.
The most remarkable thing about this book is how Gyasi is able to communicate the tremendous scope of trauma caused by the slave trade and the domino-effect of suffering that continues to the present-day for both descendants of slaves and the descendants of those who stayed on the Gold Coast. She tells two very distinct stories to paint the picture of a larger narrative of loss, loneliness, oppression, perseverance, family, and love. There is a passage where one of her characters remarks how difficult it is to tell the history of Black America when every issue and event bleeds into another until the plot becomes so great and so vast that it is hard to coherently explain. But in just 300 pages Yaa Gyasi captures the essence of the damage that has permeated the histories of so many families, with scars that run generations-upon-generations deep.
I think this book can reach many audiences in different ways. Gold Coast Africans and African-Americans both have their histories told in a way that is sentimental, heartfelt, and compassionate, bringing to light the pain felt by all African descendants, although in varying ways. I also think this book is great for people who have not had to carry the burden of such a dark history on their backs, and whose families have not had to shoulder such a burden for centuries; a lot of people do not realize that the events of the past have a rippled effect on the people of the present, even generations later.
Overall a very beautifully written book with great care of the stories of the people while keeping an eye fixed on the greater picture. Yaa Gyasi is a captivating and clever storyteller. Usually I love character-driven novels but I feel like this was largely more plot-driven when you consider the scope she is attempting to capture. But by no means do I think this takes away from her characters, as she portrays them with care and nuance to effectively drive her narratives.