ARC Review: “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson

“Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson

Publishing Date: February 1, 2022

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction

Page Length: 400 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

In this moving debut novel, two estranged siblings must set aside their differences to deal with their mother’s death and her hidden past–a journey of discovery that takes them from the Caribbean to London to California and ends with her famous black cake.

In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking journey Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child, challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their family, and themselves.

Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right?” Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever? (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Black Cake is a generational family story that follows a brother and sister, Benny and Byron, who have to come to terms with their mother’s death. Their mother’s passing brings up many unresolved feelings about their pasts, how the family became estranged, and reckoning with their overall grief. What I really enjoyed about this book is that it immerses the reader from page one and gets you invested in this family’s story and what happened. The narrative is set into multiple vignettes from the past to the present giving us a further glimpse into the minds of the characters.

I appreciated the way this novel seamlessly introduces characters and events. Even though time is constantly shifting it’s so intriguing to watch the pieces of this family’s history. I appreciated that novel is steeped in culture and how the symbolism of the black cake and its layers tie into each character’s lives. This is an intriguing family saga that was well written. There are so many constant twists and turns as the reader weaves throughout the timeline. It’s so detailed and Wilson immerses into each time place and setting. It’s very smooth and easy to follow despite hopping around from place to place.

This was a bittersweet novel full of heartbreak, family, and identity. Like the author states in her notations, the narratives follow “people who do not quite fit into the boxes that others have set up for them”. The story accurately displays the harm that stereotypes cause and how they struggle to break out of these boundaries that defy time and space. This was such a powerful debut novel!

Final Verdict: