A review by alyssalee2022
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


I don't know where to begin with this, other than this may be one of my favorite reads of all time.

Incredibly difficult topics, intense grief, depression, religious trauma, etc., are covered in such a poetic way. Although my experiences will never quite be the same as a black immigrant in the south, living in Alabama, living in the evangelical south, is an experience that can transcend demographics. That connection helped me to connect to Gifty and her experiences in a way that I wouldn't otherwise be able to.

Gifty's bridge between science and God/spirituality, and how one or the other wasn't quite enough for her life and curiosity, was particularly poignant. Needing both, rather than one or the other, to make sense of her lived experiences and hardships is something I can attest to. To watch Gifty come to this point, to see her brother's addiction and mother's depression through her eyes and watch her desperately attempt to make sense of both and what they meant for her life and theirs, gripped my heart with such an intensity I don't know if I'll ever get over it.
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