Wow! I was surprised to learn that this author was only 26 years
old when this book came out. Kudos to her for such an ambitious effort. The
book was well researched and heart wrenching in some parts. Unfortunately, it
took several chapters for me to fall into the rhythm of her story-telling
style. At first it felt dis-jointed and I kept having to go back to the family
tree at the beginning of the book, to clarify how the current chapter connected
to the previous chapter. I have to admit I expected the paths of the two
lineages to have a much wider divide in their experiences than they did. But I
thought the characters would connect sooner. As it was, both lines endured
suffering. I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster, feeling the depths of
their despair and disappointments. I was hoping against hope for reconciliation
and restoration for the characters. There was a sense of resilience among the
characters that resonated throughout the book. As I like to say, “When a book
causes the reader to experience emotional reactions; anger, sadness, joy,
relief, etc. I believe the writer has done their job well.” And Yaa Gyasi did
that!
Darlene Pryor, the author
