Homegoing
By Yaa Gyasi
A BBC Top 100 Novels that Shaped Our World
Effia and Esi: two sisters with two very different destinies. One sold into slavery; one a slave trader's wife. The consequences of their fate reverberate through the generations that follow. Taking us from the Gold Coast of Africa to the cotton-picking plantations of Mississippi; from the missionary schools of Ghana to the dive bars of Harlem, spanning three continents and seven generations, Yaa Gyasi has written a miraculous novel - the intimate, gripping story of a brilliantly vivid cast of characters and through their lives the very story of America itself.
Epic in its canvas and intimate in its portraits, Homegoing is a searing and profound debut from a masterly new writer.
'This incredible book travels from Ghana to the US revealing how slavery destroyed so many families, traditions and lives - and how its terrifying impact is still reverberating now. Gyasi has created a story of real power and insight' Stylist, the Decade's 15 Best Books by Remarkable Women
Selected for Granta's Best of Young American Novelists 2017
Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Best First Book
Shortlisted for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction
Shortlisted for the Beautiful Book Award 2017
Homegoing is not an easy read at times, but the stories of resilience shine through; with moments of beauty too. The descriptions of era and place are extremely evocative and I was left wishing I could spend more time with each character whose voice was heard along the telling of this epic tale.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s considering making a trip to Ghana, to those who have already visited, and to everyone else for its powerful insights into a very difficult period of history, and it’s ongoing repercussions."
