A review by charlsbookcorner
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

emotional 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

4.25

Book review - 4.5/5


“If I've thought of my mother as callous, and many times I have, then it is important to remember what a callus is: the hardened tissue that forms over a wound.”

Gyasi explores the themes of religion and science in her second novel, unearthing that age-old debate as to whether the two can actually function symbiotically or whether they are to forever be at odds with one another. 

Gyasi personalises and gives the above conflict a ‘human’ face through her protagonist’s current predicament. The protagonist, Gifty, is presented as an incredibly logical and practical neuroscientist who, in the aftermath of her older’s brother’s heroine overdose, is trying to find the cause of destructively addictive behaviour. At the same time, Gifty has to care for her depressed mother, an incredibly religious African woman, who sought and continues to seek refuge in Christianity and God. The characters’ coping strategies and belief systems are placed in conflict throughout the course of the novel. 

Gyasi deals with some incredibly difficult and profound topics throughout the novel with such a reflective and compassionate manner. She unpacks what would be mundane academic discourse about faith and science and makes it much more relatable and accessible. Rather than simply portraying addiction and the events that occur during addiction, Gyasi tries to highlight the ‘why’. She even goes as far as to suggest that there are not always clear answers as to why humans choose to adopt destructive behaviour. In the same way, there is no reason why religion and science cannot coexist. 

Gifty’s and her mother’s relationship felt very reminiscent of the toxic relationship between the characters in Doshi’s ‘Burnt Sugar’. Thankfully, although there is tension between Gifty and her mother, the way Gifty treats her mother does not feel as malicious as the way Antara treats her mother in Burnt Sugar. 

Overall, this novel is profoundly philosophical. Gyasi puts her two-pence into a centuries’ old debate about the compatibility of religion and science but makes it more accessible by placing it in a fictionalised setting. TK is not an easy read, it can be triggering at times and confusing at others but it’s a story that carries significant weight with those who do manage to finish it. 
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