A long kept secret revealed after the death of their mother, new family found, and a cherished recipe passed through generations! I loved the varying perspectives of this story, making sure we got all the views of the things happening in the pages! It really goes to show that sometimes... you really have no idea about a person, even those closest to you!

Let me start off by saying I enjoyed how the story began, that immediately intrigued me and sucked me into the story. I liked getting to read from different perspectives to really understand the whole story but the mom's story confused me enough to take me out of the story. It's objectively a well-thought out book but with how many different POVs there was the story is way too difficult to follow. I did end up having to look up spoilers to understand what was going on and unfortunately this book did have my least favorite trope.

*Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books for the gifted copy for my honest review*

I really felt that this book really offered something different and I really enjoyed the backstory of the mother and family. The tie in with the black cake was beautiful. I loved how the story unwound and the pieces came together. All of sudden though this book turns into social commentary out of nowhere and it seriously ruined what this author has created. There was no place in this book for that and it was just forced into being. I understand that our social climate in the US is a mess, however this was not the place to unwrap this. This was just devastating for this book. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

This is a story of secret heartbreak and family life built on lies. For the grown children of Eleanor Bennett, their inheritance includes a recording of their mother's true life story. Her life story is nothing like what they were told as children. It is a compelling read. I would like to have seen a more in depth character study of the children, Benny and Byron. This is a great novel for book club discussions.

This books was a lovely story. I honestly felt that I could have kept reading about the characters indefinitely! Highly recommend.

I almost gave up on this one, again. I’m glad I didn’t. It is a story of family but there is also some murder and mystery involved.

I’m anxious to see what Hulu does with it.

A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Historical Fiction and for Debut Novel (2022), and a Book of the Month Book of the Year Award Nominee (2022), Black Cake is a beautiful novel about secrets, family, love, and loss.

The author’s complex plot unfolds in vignettes that alternate among different times, places, and viewpoints. Unfortunately, the multiple alternating timelines/storylines became confusing, even more so as the story progressed. More than once, I double-checked to make sure I was still reading the same book more than once.

I like stories with complex characters, and deep themes, but this author overdid it with social issues. It was just too much. I also found the pacing to be a trifle slow.

Incidentally, black cake is a boozy Caribbean cake filled with dried fruit such as prunes, raisins, cherries, and currants and loaded with dark rum and dessert wine or cherry brandy. I’m not keen on fruitcake, but this one might be worth a try. One must think ahead, though, as the fruit should be soaked in the alcohol for between 7 days and six months.

If you enjoyed Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half, or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, this is a good choice. Black Cake is a beautiful, poignant, and descriptive novel from a talented debut author. I look forward to watching the Hulu series, which is scheduled for release sometime in 2023. 4 stars.

*I received a digital copy for review from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was very good and I loved it! This book was beautifully written and I was hooked the entire time! The plot was thought out and filled with secrets and turns.

This is a perfect read for anyone who loves books that follow a whole family over time. It weaves together several different storylines taking place over different timelines in such a powerful way, I was surprised to learn that this is a debut! It is definitely a character driven novel, so it may not be for some, but I recommend it to anyone who loves a sweeping family tale that has just the right amount of family secrets to keep you on the edge of your seat.

***I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

This book is a remarkable debut novel! With short chapters from multiple perspectives and varying timelines, a story about family, love, sacrifice, and secrets emerges. It‘s an unique look at racism in the Caribbean, as well as a raw dive into grief and sorrow for things lost and for the hurdles life places in the way. A five star read for me.

This might end up being one of my favorite books read in 2023, I just really connected with it. Bryon and Benny have just lost their mother, but the story really revolves around discovering who their mother really was and their relationship with each other. It is the multi-generational family drama that is a sub-genre favorite of mine. To be honest, I found the story of Eleanor's life pre-children the more fascinating and compelling chapters. There is so much in the book, a bit too much at points. Eleanor is the only really well-developed character, though I did really enjoy the other characters like Eleanor's childhood best friend and the housekeeper. There is food (the famed black cake), racism, the effects of colonialism, alcoholism, sexism, and a fractured sibling relationship. I don't want to give away other content warnings in case I spoil anything. There is a grief at the center that made me tear up at points, and also just the "now what?" feelings that accompany loss. It was a book that made me want to pick it up to find out what happened, while also bracing myself for the sadness ahead. The secrets revealed at the end left me smiling, and I am so glad I finally read this one. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy.

Black Cake is a literary gem that will sweep you away on a captivating journey through the intricacies of family, identity, and the power of inherited legacies. From the moment I delved into the pages of this extraordinary tale, I was enthralled by the author's ability to weave together a story that is both heart-wrenching and hopeful. What sets Black Cake apart is the author's ability to infuse every page with emotional depth and thought-provoking reflections on the choices we make, the burdens we carry, and the resilience of the human spirit. Wilkerson's storytelling prowess is further elevated by her exploration of the significance of names and the threads that connect generations, reminding us that our heritage shapes us in ways we may not fully comprehend. In conclusion, Black Cake is a stunning triumph of storytelling that will linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the final page.

Eleanor Bennett has passed away and leaves an audio message for her children, Byron and Benny, revealing a checkered past. They ultimately realize that there was so much about their parents that they didn't know, but one thing that remained constant, is their love of the traditional Black Cake. As the daughter of a Jamaican mother, this was very familiar to me, as it served as the groom's came at my wedding. Learning of its original and an actual recipe, also had me intrigued.

Byron and Benny must mend their differences, in order to tackle the biggest secret of them all…another sibling. This part of the story tugged at my heartstrings, because each sibling was faced with issues of their own.

What I loved most about this book by @charmspen1, is the journey that she took the readers on. From the Chinese presence in Jamaica (my mother's first boss was an Asian lady by the name of Miss Chin), to the significance of swimming (I swear, my entire family is a fish…except me), to schooling in England, to jobs in Scotland and then the migration to America. I also loved how throughout it all…love won. My favorite character is a tie between Pearl and Gibbs. Pearl for truly being the keeper of secrets (for Matilda and Covey) and Gibbs, for never giving up on love. He was a stand-up guy thru and thru. My least favorite character was Mr. Lin, until I met Little Man. You'll have to read the book in order to know why.

I read this book in observance of Caribbean American Heritage Month, and I wish I could remember who to thank for sending me the paperback and @randomhouse for sending me the e-book. This is one book I will revisit and had earned a spot on my Best Books of 2023.

Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine/Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This novel includes beautiful storytelling of a family and the historical traumas and misunderstandings. We start the story with Bennie and Byron, sister and brother who have learned that there mother has died They are back in Jamaica to listen to a reading of their mother's will and a note from the mother is included that shares family secrets that will change the way they look at their lives and all the things that have come before. I loved the way the author wove Black cake and other Jamaican culture into the story. I highly recommend this book. 4.5 stars.

I liked this book a lot. I wanted to LOVE it, but something was off. It has so many things I like: family secrets, historical and cultural context, short chapters, complicated characters, and female friendship. Reading it felt like being tossed back and forth on the waves. At times it was unsettling as the narrative moves quickly from present to past and from one character's POV to another's. But it was never confusing. A lot of current issues were brought up but there wasn't enough time to look at any of them in depth which made for less of an emotional connection to the story.

The main thing that bugged me was a few coincidences that led to the resolution. I really struggle with a book (or movie or show) when there are too many coincidences to move the story in specific directions.

BUT! I would still totally recommend this book and I practically inhaled it over the course of two days.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson was an amazing story. I had a hard time putting this book down. It is a must read. SO GOOD!!!!

This story will live in my heart for years to come. I loved all of the different point of views and how the different stories weaved together. The transitions were seamless and I loved how the certain symbols were weaved into every story. Black Cake is haunting but also stunning. Lovers of The Vanishing Half will also love this story.

I found this story full of so many experiences and perspectives. It is a multigenerational novel that traverses the sea from the Caribbean to the UK. A riveting story of love, identity, fear, celebrity, trauma, separation, reunion, and a family both pulled together and torn apart. It is easy to become invested in the characters even through the various name changes and at times the sometimes vast number of characters. It felt at times historical in context and overall was an easy intriguing read. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.

I must confess that the only reason I finished this book was because I needed it for a prompt in a book challenge. I contemplated DNFing it at around 30% but I couldn’t find another book to replace it that interested me. Ultimately, I sucked it up and here we are.

I loved the idea and what the author was going for here, but this book was just TOO MUCH.

Estranged siblings reunite upon the passing of their mother. They must listen to a recording she left for them and then eat her famous black cake when the time is right (and they’ll know when the time is right.) As the book goes on, we learn of their mother’s many, many, many (did I say many?) secrets. This all sounds like it would be a great book, right? Alas.

First of all, there were just too many characters. There was also very little dialogue. You get the characters’ backstories but you never really come to know them or why you should root for them. I skipped so many pages just to get through it—to get to the point.

The recording/re-telling of the mother’s life was like a soap opera; it became ridiculous after a while. And yet somehow something with so much drama was really pretty boring.

This book also had just about every social issue in it you could think of. I love a good book about a social issue that makes a reader learn more about a subject or a new point of view or look at something in a new way, but there was no learning here. It was just issue after issue after issue, all tossed in with the main point of this story which TBH, I’m still not sure what that was.

TL;DR: I think the author had a great idea for a book and the editor fell down on the job.

I did not love this book as much as I was hoping to. It took a decent amount of the story for me to full feel invested in the characters lives. I preferred the chapters based in the past rather than the present, the present chapters made me lose some interest. That was more based on the characters than it was on the story. A little past the halfway mark I started to get more invested.