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Title: Homegoing
Authors: Gyasi, Yaa
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 305
Year: 2016
Publisher: Penguin Books
Language: English
Description: It starts with sisters Effia and Esi: Effia with marriage to an English slave trader and Esi, sold as a slave and shipped to the Americas. From 1700s Gold Coast Africa to present day USA, the family bloodline expands over three continents and through seven generations.

Using a domestic focus to trace the history of the US and Ghana, this compelling and memorable saga is rich in African culture and reverberates with the fraught legacy of slavery. [Small font]
Categories: Fiction, Culture/Ethnic/Racial, Family Saga, Historical, Morals/Ethics, Relationships, America, Africa, 2021 Titles, Ghana

Reviews

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By: WANAK 009 2025-05-07 11:34:12
4.5 
We all thought this book was remarkable. A very powerful, and at times, difficult account of interconnected lives spanning over 2 centuries.

By: DUNED 042 2022-10-20 10:39:13
4 
We enjoyed the content and writing of this book. The only downside was the structure - jumping from one story to the next. We had to keep going back to the family tree. Very illuminating about African American family stories.

By: GORE 007 2022-06-29 10:13:45
3 
A mixed reaction to this book; comments included a wish for more in depth coverage of the characters.

By: ROTO 013 2022-06-16 11:36:49
5 
Incredible book! We all loved it, very easy to read. Well-written and incredibly moving.

By: MOTUE 005 2022-06-08 14:42:12
4 
All of us read the book and answered all of the questions! Great discussion from a book a few of us would have picked up at the library, but glad it opened up a topic that was well-written and engaging. Glad to have the genealogy map which helped as we moved backward and forward in time.

By: ASHB 016 2022-06-01 17:26:18
4.5 
We enjoyed this although some members were upset about some of the content and what happened to people in those times and situations. One member didn't like it because each chapter was about a new person and she felt that it was like a series of short stories. It didn't bother the rest of us and those who read it, agreed it was just the style of writing. Great discussion and we were pleased that we had read it.

By: WELL 042 2022-04-22 14:20:54
5 
Everyone found the book most interesting, albeit a bit harrowing in parts. The book provoked lots of discussion.

By: CHCH 125 2021-09-24 11:40:58
3.5 
An interesting, if harrowing, depiction of the history of the slave trade. It took us a while to get used to the way it was written, with a different character being focused on in a new generation, but overall an engaging read.

By: WELL 228 2021-09-22 12:18:37
3 
Another read that some of our members enjoyed and others not so much. We did find the many characters quite confusing at times, but found it really interesting learning more about African history.

By: GISB 012 2021-09-15 12:37:32
4.5 
We haven't met to discuss because of lockdown, but a few have mentioned how much they enjoyed this.

By: CHCH 487 2021-09-14 12:56:09
5 
This book was unanimously liked by our group. The writing is superb and we learned so much about the intergenerational effects of slavery. We understood better the impact of the slave trade at 'home' in Africa also. Each chapter left you wanting to know more about that particular descendant, but we felt this was more due to the strength of the writing and not a failure of the construction of the story.

By: AUCK 293 2021-05-20 14:38:50
4 
Because the author was spanning 7 generations, it was a bit disjointed to read. Each part was about a different character which meant you were just getting involved in their life when it ended abruptly. But still, an enjoyable book.

 
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