Black Cake

Black Cake
Charmaine Wilkerson
RRP:
NZ$ 37.00
Our Price:
NZ$ 29.60
Trade Paperback
h234 x 153mm - 400pg
3 Feb 2022 UK
International import eta 7-19 days
9780241529935
Out Of Stock
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9780241529928 UK Hardback $38.40

Crossing continents and juggling lives, Black Cake is a moving and powerful debut which spans sixty years in the life of one Caribbean/American familyEleanor Bennett won' t let her own death get in the way of the truth. So when her estranged children - Byron and Benny - reunite for her funeral in California, they discover a puzzling inheritance. First, a voice recording in which everything Byron and Benny ever knew about their family is upended. Their mother narrates a tumultuous story about a headstrong young woman who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder, a story which cuts right to the heart of the rift that' s separated Byron and Benny. Second, a traditional Caribbean black cake made from a family recipe with a long history that Eleanor hopes will heal the wounds of the past. Can Byron and Benny fulfil their mother' s final request to ' share the black cake when the time is right' ? Will Eleanor' s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?
Black Cake is a beautiful, deeply resonant story of children trying to understand the mother they have lost. Charmaine Wilkerson transports you across the decades and the globe accompanied by complex, wonderfully drawn characters. She has managed to tell a story that is as meaningful as it is delicious. At turns delightfully juicy and then stunningly wise, Black Cake is a winner -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, Sunday Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones and The Six I was instantly taken in by this multi-generational tale of identity, family, and the lifelong push and pull of home. This novel has a tremendous heart at its centre, and I felt its beat on every page. What an extraordinary debut -- Mary Beth Keane, bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes So beautifully written I' m struggling to believe it' s a debut. The cake is the glue that holds all the layers together and the scenes are so well drawn I could almost taste the cake, feel the warm sea on my skin. My heart broke and was put back together. Bravo -- Nikki May, author of Wahala An extremely assured debut which pulls in threads and echoes from across the Caribbean diaspora to deliver a rich, complex and really satisfying novel -- Alison Finch, BBC Radio 4 Wilkerson explores the nuances of racial identity and betrayal in a powerful novel * Vogue * BLACK CAKE has all the ingredients of the tastiest stories: secrets, romance, danger, and a cast of characters so real you want to scream at them one moment and hug them the next. I felt nearly breathless while reading Eleanor' s truth - as if I were right there in the room with Byron and Benny, wholly immersed in their mother' s tragedies and triumphs -- Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal and Nev A stunning page-turner, with characters that felt real and relatable. I can' t recommend this book highly enough. An incredible debut -- Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City Black Caketook a hold of me from the first page and didn' t let go . . . A gripping, poignant debut from an important new voice -- Naima Coster, New York Times bestselling author of What' s Mine and Yours Included in ' The books we' re looking forward to in 2022' * Good Housekeeping * A multi-generational debut generating hype * Grazia * You can' t help but fall in love with this book * Stylist * A shining family saga . . . Readers will adore this highly accomplished effort from a talented new writer * Publishers Weekly, Starred Review * Black Cake is such an engaging novel. The structure works brilliantly with its dual narrative and short, sharp chapters. As I read, I felt like I could taste the sweet and spice of the black cake that links generations of the same family. Wilkerson' s Black Cake is filled with secrets, family ties and hidden desires. It is an extremely satisfying read that stays with you long after the final page. As moreish as its title. If you want to be transported, read this book -- Jodie Chapman, author of Another Life
Charmaine Wilkerson is an American writer who has lived in Jamaica and is based in Italy. A graduate of Barnard College and Stanford University, she is a former journalist whose award-winning short fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies. Black Cake is her first novel.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9780241529935
Published: 3 Feb 2022
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Michael Joseph
Publisher: Penguin Books
Format: Trade Paperback
Height: 234mm
Width: 153mm
Spine: 29mm
Weight: 481g
Pages: 400

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