Black Cake ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

G👀dreads

We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?

In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.

Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?

Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery
Dual Timeline: 1960s and current

I do not recall how this one got on my TBR but I'm game. It's also a series on Hulu but I don't have Hulu. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall Enjoyment 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣

Would I recommend it to anyone? 🗣️ Yes ➕

Would I want a sequel 🕮 Yes ➕  There were no lose ends but I would be interested in where their lives went from where it ended.

Would I want to read more books by this author 📚  Yes ➕

Trigger Warnings 💣💥Abuse, Homophobia, Cancer, Death and Murder, Hate Crimes, Forced Adoption, Prejudice.

Spice 🌶 No

Plot twist 🌪 Yes

Tidbits 💻 Wow, what a great book! 
If you don't like dual timeline, multiple characters, several storylines which intertwine, various social issues, than this book is not for you. 

I think the author did a great job pulling all that together. I wouldn't say she "dummied down the narrative" like Kristin Hannah does*, but I will say it was an easy read.  

There were a LOT of characters but she brought their stories together well. 
Lots of trigger warnings but they were well written and not dwelled upon. I also didn't feel like she had a basket of all.the.things that she needed to get into the book, like I have with some other books covering several topics.
Sensitive issues were handled with care without trying to hammer home underling messages. 

Someone in a FB HF group I'm in said she ugly cried at the end. No tears from me, but I will admit I got a little chocked up towards the end, and by a little I mean a lot. 

🎧Lynette R. Freeman, Simone McIntyre
BTW, One reviewer on GR who didn't like it said there were 10 narrators!  Not the case. There were two and I think they did a great job. 

*Kristin Hannah. No offense intended if she's one of your favorites. 
The only KH book I've read (listened to) was The Women. I thought the first half was good. She drove home the point that War is Hell. Coming home from the war that people are protesting was difficult. I did not like the second half at all. It turned into a soap opera romance and I thought it was insulting to anyone who ever lost a loved one in service. 
I finished it because I wanted to see if it was worth the hype (not in my opinion) and it was narrated by Julia Whelan, my favorite, so she kept me listening. 
People drool over this book, often saying it's the best book they ever read, it's a must read, etc. etc. Many of those fans have read all her books and rave on. 
So I asked Librarian Google why she is so popular because I just don't get it. 
Answer was - she dummies down the narrative so it can be understood by most readers. Simple grammar and vocabulary, most often ending in a happily ever after.  That's what her fans like so that's what she delivers. 

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