Effia and Esi: two sisters with two very different destinies. One sold into slavery; one a slave trader’s wife. The consequences of their fate reverberate through the generations that follow. Taking us from the Gold Coast of Africa to the cotton-picking plantations of Mississippi; from the missionary schools of Ghana to the dive bars of Harlem, spanning three continents and seven generations, Yaa Gyasi has written a miraculous novel–the intimate, gripping story of a brilliantly vivid cast of characters and through their lives the very story of America itself.
This novel is possibly my favourite read of 2023 so far, because it is incredibly good and also, I must say, because I am a huge sucker for multi-generational timelines.
In Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi follows two sisters separated at a very young age in 18th century Ghana. One is sold as a slave, the other marries a tribal chief. So begins a long journey through Ghana and the United States.
Happy new year! After talking about my low-stakes accomplishments and the non-book media I consumed in 2023, it’s time to share my reading retrospective. It’s…