Black Cake: A Novel

Excellent book. It was one of the few books that could go back and forth in time, and still keep the story together, without losing the reader.

Jennifer

Black Cake is a beautiful written novel. This story is about Eleanor Bennet’s life. Shortly before her death she left behind a black cake, and the truth about her past for her children. Benny and Byron learned that their mother escaped the island that she lived on as a young girl, and was even a suspect in a case murder at the time as well. It was also brought to their attention that they even have a sibling that was never mentioned before. They started to wonder if they really knew who their mother was at all. This book is a 4 part story that focuses on family, secrets, identity, culture, and love! It was truly a very moving. I greatly enjoyed learning a bit about the Caribbean culture and their history. Charmaine Wilkerson did a wonderful job developing each character throughout the novel. You get to see how they grew and even feel some of their emotions. Benny and Byron have had a strained relationship for quite some time, but things begin to change as the story goes on. It was beautiful reading about the different relationships in the book. Some were old and needing some extensive repairing while others were just beginning. The ending of Black Cake is exactly what I’d hoped for. Not one questions was left unanswered and no mystery was left unsolved. I closed this book with a smile and a full heart.

Brilliant book, also watched on disney+

Amazingly written! The author weaves together multiple character's experiences in a way that feels we're getting authentic views of lives of friends and family. We see how people, and their circumstances lead to complicated choices that impact relationships and future circumstances. I appreciate the cultural references to the Carribean. I liked the exploration of how colonization and immigration impacted food, art and cultural practices throughout the Diaspora and across generations.