A review by alongbookshelf
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-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

4.5

I thought this book was amazing. The writing is truly so beautiful, simple yet elegant and every word adds to the story in a meaningful way. Each chapter is narrated in a different POV, each character descending from one of two bloodlines. One woman remained in Africa, another sold to slave owners in America. The characters represent different existences as a black person in either country, all with a collective unconscious, memories, and visions of ancestors. I think it's incredibly difficult to link smaller, shorter stories that attempt to encompass the entirety of someone's life and being and THEN link those to a larger, more holistic view of a group of people. In my opinion, Gyasi did an incredible job doing exactly that. Each character has their own storyline, but is inevitably connected to their home, their family, their life. I loved it.
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