A review by jaimeeslitlife
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

HOMEGOING is achingly beautiful and epic in scope - I can't believe so much story fit into only 300 pages. 

HOMEGOING reads like a series of interconnected short stories, with each chapter focusing on moments from one character's life. Each story flawlessly hands the baton off to the next, providing the reader with enough context to connect the characters while also leaving space for the imagination to fill in gaps. Through this brilliant format, Gyasi emphasizes the cumulative effects of trauma, racism, and slavery; each character's story lives on through their descendants - whether they know it or not. 

“We believe the one who has power. He is the one who gets to write the story. So when you study history you must ask yourself, Whose story am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth? Once you have figured that out, you must find that story too. From there you get a clearer, yet still imperfect, picture.”
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