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A review by santreads
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
dark
emotional
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
4.5
This book slowly enveloped me in its arms, wrapped itself around me, not in a comforting way really but in a way to say ‘this is me and I see you’ and I just can’t describe that feeling to you but I hope you understand it.
The book follows Gifty, a PhD student studying reward seeking behaviour and the neuro circuits of addiction and depression. These are not things I understand, but through Gifty I did. I understood her life right now as well as her childhood. Her living in Alabama with her parents who moved from Ghana to search for a better life, her brother Nana - the taller, larger than life brother that she had who she saw go through the throes of addiction.
Through this book Gifty is trying to weld two parts of her life together - one that is her current life in science (as a woman in STEM) and the second, her past - her religious side - her belief in God. Both, so opposed to each other as concepts and yet such big parts of her.
This book may seem rough, but it’s gentle. Quiet.
I have to say that this is a brilliantly written book. There were so many passages that I highlighted and shared because they spoke to me. So many I highlighted and tucked away because they spoke to me and I didn’t want you to know. Gyasi really did speak to addiction, depression and grief and made it come alive in these characters - so subtly but so painful to see.
I know a lot of people have not liked this book as much because it didn’t set itself up to the hype of the author’s previous work - Homegoing. I haven’t read it and I’m sure I will now. But perhaps this was good. I had no idea what was in store for me. My expectations were low and thus, my experience felt augmented.
I loved this book for the things it spoke of (religion, science, your place in society, depression, addiction, racism, relocation, etc), the prose and just the way it made me feel. This book is almost 5 star. Just something is missing and I can’t figure out what. But it’s still beautiful and would recommend.
The book follows Gifty, a PhD student studying reward seeking behaviour and the neuro circuits of addiction and depression. These are not things I understand, but through Gifty I did. I understood her life right now as well as her childhood. Her living in Alabama with her parents who moved from Ghana to search for a better life, her brother Nana - the taller, larger than life brother that she had who she saw go through the throes of addiction.
Through this book Gifty is trying to weld two parts of her life together - one that is her current life in science (as a woman in STEM) and the second, her past - her religious side - her belief in God. Both, so opposed to each other as concepts and yet such big parts of her.
This book may seem rough, but it’s gentle. Quiet.
I have to say that this is a brilliantly written book. There were so many passages that I highlighted and shared because they spoke to me. So many I highlighted and tucked away because they spoke to me and I didn’t want you to know. Gyasi really did speak to addiction, depression and grief and made it come alive in these characters - so subtly but so painful to see.
I know a lot of people have not liked this book as much because it didn’t set itself up to the hype of the author’s previous work - Homegoing. I haven’t read it and I’m sure I will now. But perhaps this was good. I had no idea what was in store for me. My expectations were low and thus, my experience felt augmented.
I loved this book for the things it spoke of (religion, science, your place in society, depression, addiction, racism, relocation, etc), the prose and just the way it made me feel. This book is almost 5 star. Just something is missing and I can’t figure out what. But it’s still beautiful and would recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Racism and Suicide attempt