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A review by nataliebootlah
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Gifty is a first-generation Ghanaian finishing up her neuroscience PhD focused on the restraint and reward system of lab mice at Stanford University. She hopes to discover which neurological pathways lead to addiction and depression in humans, something she is all too familiar with.
After the loss of her brother to an overdose resulting in her mother falling into an unrelenting depression, Gifty throws all of her focus into her research. It isn’t until her mother comes to stay with her that she begins to come to terms with the heaviness of her own trauma. This realization is what makes her look past the lab as a coping mechanism, leaving her longing for the comfort faith used to bring her.
The emotions in Transcendent Kingdom leap off the page as science and faith collide. It is both heavy and soft. Gifty’s journey is one of grief, hope, self-reflection, and where religion fits in (and where it doesn’t).
After the loss of her brother to an overdose resulting in her mother falling into an unrelenting depression, Gifty throws all of her focus into her research. It isn’t until her mother comes to stay with her that she begins to come to terms with the heaviness of her own trauma. This realization is what makes her look past the lab as a coping mechanism, leaving her longing for the comfort faith used to bring her.
The emotions in Transcendent Kingdom leap off the page as science and faith collide. It is both heavy and soft. Gifty’s journey is one of grief, hope, self-reflection, and where religion fits in (and where it doesn’t).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Addiction, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts