A review by jayisreading
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

Transcendent Kingdom is a book that calls for quiet contemplation in an entirely different way from her previous book, Homegoing. Equally stunning and brilliantly told from a complex protagonist, every word was intentional and made you ache in more ways than one. I loved the way Gyasi shaped Gifty, the protagonist, by the way. She was one of the most human characters I’ve read in a while, approaching large (and often overwhelming) topics in a way that’s relatable, as well as sharing a particular grief that angered and saddened her, especially in her family relations and their struggles. The push-and-pull between science and religion was brilliantly handled by exploring it through Gifty’s perspective, and I really appreciated the grey area that Gyasi presented to make space for the reader to reflect on their own understanding of these two.

I think what struck me about this book is that neither Gyasi or Gifty were expecting anyone to come to terms with anything. In fact, it was clear that there were some things that couldn’t be resolved, would forever ache, or require a long period to process things that sometimes can’t be put into words. It was more complex than trauma and, somehow, Gyasi was able to spin words together to express all of this with such care.

I absolutely loved Homecoming and equally enjoyed Transcendent Kingdom. Whatever Gyasi has planned next, I eagerly look forward to it. 
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