Book Review: Homegoing

Book Title: Homegoing

Book Author: Yaa Gyasi

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Publication Date: June 7th 2016

“This is the problem of history. We cannot know that which we were not there to see and hear and experience for ourselves. We must rely upon the words of others.”

This was a great example of what storytelling should be like.  I wasn’t sure if I could rely on all the reviews and recommendations I’ve got about this book and I knew I had to experience it by myself.

I was not disappointed.

Yaa Gyasi made it really easy for me to mark this Historical Fiction as one of the best reads for this year. Set in Ghana, a captivating tale about two half-sisters, unknown to each other, born in different villages. Effia was married off to an Englishman, comfortably living in Cape Coast Castle, while Esi was sold into slavery and shipped off to America.

I didn’t know what to expect but I was so convinced this was going to be a tale about sisters reuniting, bonding with each other over tears of happiness and what’s not. Boy, was I mistaken. This was so much more than what it is, way more!

This was about history! It was about culture and traditions. It was about slavery, prejudice and racism. Lots of it!

I thought it was really clever how the structure of the book was written. Each chapter is unique and focusing on a descendent, alternatively, of one sister which talks about generational diversity of different times and places, where we get to experience their struggles whether it’s mentally, socially or physically.

I would totally recommend this to all historical lovers and especially if you are a fan of short stories.