Transcendent Kingdom: A Read with Jenna Pick: A novel

It was a disappointment after reading her first novel Homegoing.

This was a delight to read. Rich nuanced, yet accessible prose made the words sing off the page. Gifty is the main character and we learn about her and her Ghanaian family through current experiences and some memories. She is a scientist and the book delves into her work to some extent, but the real story is her family. They are immigrants, and multi-lingual blacks in Alabama, struggling to cope with poverty, family ruptures, addiction and depression, all with a watchful eye on the role of religion in their world. So many important topics, all thoughtfully rendered in the context of these believable characters.

Beautifully written, on a whole different level than Homegoing. I'm jealous of Yaa Gyasi's skills as an author!

Religion and science collide in one person when she loses her family to depression and addiction.

Review here!

Addiction and how past traumas shape the path of our lives.

This story was brilliant. It was a mix of science and faith and often times people push heavy the notion that these ideas are two separate beings with no commonalities or relationship. Gyasi’s way of telling a story about a young woman who grew up in the church and later questions and struggles with it is relatable and so well told that as a girl who struggles with some of Gifty’s notion and ideas it doesn’t feel like I’m being mocked or ridiculed but in a storm of questions that will never be answered. I

I encourage everyone to read this. It’s consistent throughout. There’s really no build up or climax but the story is just a story of life, the pains that are inevitable, the loss of relationships from life itself or our wounds and gates pushing people away. It’s a story of acceptance and reflection. It’s genuinely beautifully written!