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lizisbee's review against another edition
5.0
One of the top five books I've ever read. This writer is incredible, and I was torn between wanting to spend more time with each of the characters and being desperate to get on to the next generation's chapter to see what would happen next. I cannot wait to see what the rest of her body of work looks like over her career.
rissatodd's review against another edition
5.0
This amazing story across generations and oceans is breathtaking. My only sadness is that I wanted more stories. But I also think it's part of the beauty of it. We never know all the events and experiences that make up histories since we only live in our time. It creates never ending opportunity for exploration and learning and appreciation of how we got to today.
amandacanniff's review against another edition
4.0
This is the story of a family, separated and yet still connected. The main character is not a person but the country of Ghana (to me at least). I learned so much about Ghana and even some American history. I thought I knew all about slavery but I had never heard of Pratt City or how quickly once freed slaves (and some born free) got drawn back into a form of slavery.
laurenpilny's review against another edition
5.0
Favorite read of 2020. The structure was incredible. So much excellence in the writing. Highly recommend to all!!
vicg_b31's review against another edition
5.0
This was perfection. It was everything I love about the historical fiction genre and more. I’m obsessed with Gyasi’s prose, and it actually reminded me a lot of Anita Diamant’s, who is one of my favorite authors.
Three things I love, that this book did amazingly:
1. Parallel storylines (that eventually connect)
2. Novels that span decades of time
3. Generations of the same family
We start with half-sisters from what is now Ghana at the height of European colonization and slave trade, one of whom is wedded to an English officer and whose line predominantly stays in colonized Africa, while the other is captured and sold into slavery with her line growing up in the American South. We get every piece of tragedy, and pain, and loss, while also feeling beauty, and connection, and joy. Gyasi pulled no punches and effortlessly created moments for every emotion you can think of.
The structure of this novel was also so satisfying and a real highlight - Gyasi alternated back and forth between the descendants of each sister, moving in chronological order through history, and each chapter was dedicated to a new character. I was able to feel so connected to and invested in a multitude of different characters, while also knowing that when their chapter ended, I had to deal with missing them and knowing I was done with their story (and if I wanted to know how their story ended, it would only be told through the lens of the descendant after them, if at all). It means there were some questions I never got answered, but for the first time maybe ever as a reader, I was okay with that.
Gyasi’s prose had a great pace to it and felt like it was pulling you along through the timeline, showing the big picture, and then stopping for a second to zoom in on a particular scene before zooming back out and continuing on our way. I lovvvve writing like that (again why I love and felt a connection to Diamant’s work) because you get so much information in such a quick period of time, without sacrificing any of the emotional impact or connection to characters.
I can’t say enough good about this book - I went to bed thinking about it and woke up excited to keep reading it.
Three things I love, that this book did amazingly:
1. Parallel storylines (that eventually connect)
2. Novels that span decades of time
3. Generations of the same family
We start with half-sisters from what is now Ghana at the height of European colonization and slave trade, one of whom is wedded to an English officer and whose line predominantly stays in colonized Africa, while the other is captured and sold into slavery with her line growing up in the American South. We get every piece of tragedy, and pain, and loss, while also feeling beauty, and connection, and joy. Gyasi pulled no punches and effortlessly created moments for every emotion you can think of.
The structure of this novel was also so satisfying and a real highlight - Gyasi alternated back and forth between the descendants of each sister, moving in chronological order through history, and each chapter was dedicated to a new character. I was able to feel so connected to and invested in a multitude of different characters, while also knowing that when their chapter ended, I had to deal with missing them and knowing I was done with their story (and if I wanted to know how their story ended, it would only be told through the lens of the descendant after them, if at all). It means there were some questions I never got answered, but for the first time maybe ever as a reader, I was okay with that.
Gyasi’s prose had a great pace to it and felt like it was pulling you along through the timeline, showing the big picture, and then stopping for a second to zoom in on a particular scene before zooming back out and continuing on our way. I lovvvve writing like that (again why I love and felt a connection to Diamant’s work) because you get so much information in such a quick period of time, without sacrificing any of the emotional impact or connection to characters.
I can’t say enough good about this book - I went to bed thinking about it and woke up excited to keep reading it.
chagrn's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Beautifully written but emotional. Been thinking about this and can see myself in the book. The desire to map my family back to Africa is strong.
jenniep207's review against another edition
5.0
This book is phenomenal. Each chapter a different generation, Gyasi's ability to build character depth and weave together the stories is powerful. I highly recommend.
adrianazschiewe's review against another edition
5.0
“As she sang, she saw the notes float out of her mouth like little butterflies, carrying some of her sadness away, and she knew, finally, that she would survive it.”
homeandhorizom's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
4.75