Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
Reviewed by Karen Lane, Need a Read
Ooooo this book is as delicious as the Black Cake of its title! I couldn’t put it down. Eleanor Bennet is dead. When her estranged children, Byron and Benny, arrive for her funeral the lawyer issues them with two instructions from their mother:
The first is to listen to a voice recording which begins: “Please forgive me for not telling you any of this before. Things were different when I was your age. Things were different for women, especially if you were from the islands.” Over several hours of listening the siblings have the rug pulled from under them as they learn of a brave, strong-willed and adventurous woman they hardly recognise.
And the second is to “share the Black Cake (which she has left in the freezer) when the time is right”.
Evocative, colourful and mysterious, Black Cake is a story about how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories and even names can shape a family for generations. And of course, its a story about cake – it’s origins, it’s recipe and it’s healing power… I gather that Oprah Winfrey has optioned the book for a TV series. Its perfect for Netflix but do read it first!
Here I am raving about the book!
The first is to listen to a voice recording which begins: “Please forgive me for not telling you any of this before. Things were different when I was your age. Things were different for women, especially if you were from the islands.” Over several hours of listening the siblings have the rug pulled from under them as they learn of a brave, strong-willed and adventurous woman they hardly recognise.
And the second is to “share the Black Cake (which she has left in the freezer) when the time is right”.
Evocative, colourful and mysterious, Black Cake is a story about how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories and even names can shape a family for generations. And of course, its a story about cake – it’s origins, it’s recipe and it’s healing power… I gather that Oprah Winfrey has optioned the book for a TV series. Its perfect for Netflix but do read it first!
Here I am raving about the book!
Available for purchase from Need a Read:
Black Cake | Need a Read
