A review by readingwithhippos
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
4.0
Homegoing is a daring and ambitious debut. Make note of Gyasi's name, because with this novel she has laid the groundwork for an illustrious writing career.
She begins her story with two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, who never meet. Each subsequent chapter follows someone from the next generation in the family line. The half-sisters are born in Ghana, but their lineages diverge immediately, with one sister remaining in Ghana, married to a white slave trader, and the other captured and sent on a slave ship to North America.
Because each chapter deals with a new character in a new generation, the books feels more like a series of linked short stories or vignettes than a long, sweeping novel—a choice which keeps the novel to a manageable length and prevents it from bogging down with detail. It's a lot to process, but it's not so demanding that it would monopolize your whole summer.
A few other good books that tell stories of families through several generations:
[b:The Children's Crusade|22609396|The Children's Crusade|Ann Packer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422297109s/22609396.jpg|42099386] by Ann Packer
[b:Green Island|25763894|Green Island|Shawna Yang Ryan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445790070s/25763894.jpg|45426209] by Shawna Yang Ryan
[b:The Turner House|22749750|The Turner House|Angela Flournoy|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408469614s/22749750.jpg|42295144] by Angela Flournoy
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
She begins her story with two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, who never meet. Each subsequent chapter follows someone from the next generation in the family line. The half-sisters are born in Ghana, but their lineages diverge immediately, with one sister remaining in Ghana, married to a white slave trader, and the other captured and sent on a slave ship to North America.
Because each chapter deals with a new character in a new generation, the books feels more like a series of linked short stories or vignettes than a long, sweeping novel—a choice which keeps the novel to a manageable length and prevents it from bogging down with detail. It's a lot to process, but it's not so demanding that it would monopolize your whole summer.
A few other good books that tell stories of families through several generations:
[b:The Children's Crusade|22609396|The Children's Crusade|Ann Packer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422297109s/22609396.jpg|42099386] by Ann Packer
[b:Green Island|25763894|Green Island|Shawna Yang Ryan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445790070s/25763894.jpg|45426209] by Shawna Yang Ryan
[b:The Turner House|22749750|The Turner House|Angela Flournoy|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408469614s/22749750.jpg|42295144] by Angela Flournoy
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com