A review by nataliebootlah
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

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

4.0

“I have lived long enough to see that my life has been determined, not only by the meanness of others, but also by the kindness of others, and their willingness to listen.” 
 
Estranged siblings, Benny and Byron, are brought back together by the death of their mother and the mysterious recording she’s left them. In it, she shares her untold story and offers one last traditional black cake for the siblings to share “when the time is right”. 
 
This saga is painful yet delightful as it examines the trauma one family endures across generations. In some ways it felt like a collection of short stories, with different layers added oh slow slowly throughout the whole novel. I absolutely loved how Wilkerson let the the reader in only a little bit at a time. 
 
Black Cake is an ode to the Caribbean, food, swimming, love, loss, and familial ties. I really enjoyed it. 
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