🍰When Benny and Byron’s mother passes away they learn the true story of her life.

👍🏼I really enjoyed what I learned about the characters and the moms story especially was unique and gripping.

👎🏼The structure of the book and the lack of emotional connection to the characters.

✅Overall this book was interesting and I enjoyed reading it. I especially enjoyed the necessary trip to the bakery even though I wasn’t able to find the actual black cake. Unfortunately I never really got past surface level with the characters. I loved so many things about them and they all had such unique and fascinating stories but I wanted more, I never felt emotionally invested. I typically don’t mind time jumps, but the time jumps in coordination with the constant POV changes contributed to my struggles to fully engage with the characters. Overall an interesting read and I’m still on the hunt to find a legit black cake!

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ebook!

What an amazing book! I am sure it will be making its way to the top of many bestseller lists in February 2022. This is a story that will appeal to any reader that loves to be taken away by the story. This book will take you from the Caribbean in the 1950's where we first learn about "black cake," and end in SoCal. Benny and Byron, are adult siblings that have grown apart because of injustices that both felt they have been privy to, mainly from their mother and father. Now, they must come together for the funeral of their mother and to hear her final bequest. The bequest is in a recorded message that their mother has made. As they listen to her story, they are shocked to find out that they have a sister and that their parent's relationship was built on a secret. I am not sure what I liked the most: the telling of Caribbean life in the 1950's, the new insight I gained of racism within an individual race, or hearing about migration from the Indies during this era. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in the e-book format in exchange for an honest review. This book will become one of my favorites.

Charmaine Wilkerson's Black Cake presents a lively historical saga of a family that survived over the generations. A brilliant title, Black Cake, an island dessert and metaphor for the Caribbean traditions, is the theme running throughout the story.

Byron and Benny attend their mother's funeral only to discover family revelations and a sister they've never met before. The offspring of Eleanor and Bert Bennett have been estranged for eight years and must deal with their differences and guilt. Mr. Mitch, Eleanor's lawyer, has been tasked to present their mother's audio message and plea to get along and not lose each other. The siblings must come to terms with their family history, identity, and relationships.

Readers will relate to Black Cake, which covers family estrangement, secrets, misunderstandings, and redemption. The reader gets insights from many character viewpoints, which may seem confusing and scattered but wraps up neatly at the end.

I love the strong characters, especially Eleanor Bennett, a matriarch who ties it all together, detailing this unique family's hardships, triumphs, and struggles. I enjoyed learning about the culture, history, and people of the Caribbean islands, and thank Kathleen Quinlan of Random House Publishing for allowing me to read and review it.

This is a book about identity and it is for everyone that doesn't fit into neat checkboxes and for everyone who wants a better understanding of how wrong it is to even attempt to put people into checkboxes. Covey has a black mother and a Chinese father. What does that make her and what does that make her children? After she passes, her children are left having to unravel many of the secrets of her life which changes everything they knew about her. At the same time, it changes nothing about her love for them, but it takes them some time to realize that. The story is engaging, but at times it is a little preachy. The book may also make you hungry because black cake is mentioned quite often and it sounds delicious.

Interesting characters that were so different from most of the books I read. Big issues were explored:loyalty, friendship, social mores. The book was a pleasure to read.

The premise is intriguing, but the writing does not do the plot justice. The writing is choppy and feels immature and juvenile, which is odd considering the age of Benny and Byron. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters.

I would like to thank Random House and Net Galley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I have read a large number of books lately that use a non linear timeline. This is one of them. I do not have a problem, per se, with this, when I am easily able to determine who is speaking and when. Reading this book was a puzzle in more ways than one. It tells a story of 2 people, brother and sister, whose mother has died. Their father died some years prior, and the birther and sister are estranged. The brother and sister are taken by their mothers lawyer to hear a tape the mother had made for them. The tape was made to explain things in their parents lives that the siblings did not know. This seemed like a good premise and an intriguing one. However, the narrative shifts constantly , with times and narrators changing, The siblings stories are also told, again in a non linear fashion. Characters appear and disappear, almost randomly. I wanted to keep reading, because I wanted to see how everything pulled together at the end. Well, it did and it didn't. I see that almost all of the reviews are raves, so maybe it is not my cup of tea. There were some interesting characters and plot lines, but it was way too confusing for me .

I requested to read and review this book for free from Ballantine Books. This is a powerful story of love, friendship, and betrayal and perseverance. You will keep reading and wonder am I going to know what happens? Family is a funny thing sometimes things are not what they seem. The women in this book are strong and determined. They don't let much slow them done. And is true love a thing? Our parents can be a best friends and cheerleaders and also life's biggest mystery. This story is for a mature reader and can be read anywhere!

Black Cake is a beautifully written debut novel. I loved this book from the first page to the last and was so sad when it was over. Charmaine Wilkerson is so incredibly talented and I hope we see many more books from her in the future. So we’ll done!

This is an extraordinary story of faith, hope, love, endurance and the renewal of life through changes.


With themes of longing, loss, misogyny, love and misguided intentions, the book weaves a wonderful story about the power of love and the pain of expectations. I loved the explanations of the origins of Black Cake and how it was instrumental in tying the generations together. There are so many parts I could talk about and highlight, but there is such joy in finding out these things for yourself while reading. Some of the revelations in Eleanor’s video were expected, but others were shocking. When the book ended, I just sat with my eyes closed and my book on my lap, letting the stunning emotions and insights from this book continue to seep in. I loved this book!

Black Cake is a generational family story that follows a brother and sister, Benny and Byron, who have to come to terms with their mother’s death. Their mother’s passing brings up many unresolved feelings about their pasts, how the family became estranged, and reckoning with their overall grief. What I really enjoyed about this book is that it immerses the reader from page one and gets you invested in this family’s story and what happened. The narrative is set into multiple vignettes from the past to the present giving us a further glimpse into the minds of the characters.

I appreciated the way this novel seamlessly introduces characters and events. Even though time is constantly shifting it’s so intriguing to watch the pieces of this family’s history. I appreciated that novel is steeped in culture and how the symbolism of the black cake and its layers tie into each character’s lives. This is an intriguing family saga that was well written. There are so many constant twists and turns as the reader weaves throughout the timeline. It’s so detailed and Wilson immerses into each time place and setting. It’s very smooth and easy to follow despite hopping around from place to place.

This was a bittersweet novel full of heartbreak, family, and identity. Like the author states in her notations, the narratives follow “people who do not quite fit into the boxes that others have set up for them”. The story accurately displays the harm that stereotypes cause and how they struggle to break out of these boundaries that defy time and space. This was such a powerful debut novel!

What a beautiful multi-layered debut novel! This is a story about love, family, relationships, tradition, choices, deception, and loss. Siblings Benny and Byron are coping with the loss of their mother, Eleanor, who left behind a recording made just before her death. Through the recording, Eleanor’s deep love for her family shines through and endures. There is a lot to unpack in this novel but it’s one of those gifts you want to unwrap slowly because each layer is part of the gift.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was provided this ARC by Netgalley and Penguin Random House. This was a beautiful story with many layers. It is a story of family, friendship, loyalties, and survival. The story moves along at a good pace and wraps up very nicely.

What a gift to readers of all colors and faith in family tradition. A brother and sister coming to terms with their own differences unite to learn of the life and lives of their newly departed mother. It is full of life , lived and renewed. It speaks to the heart of mothered everywhere and the moment when sacrifice means more than life. It is full of courage and love and bonds we make early that thankfully endure. It is full of moments to precious to leave to do other things. I wish you Happy reading. I only wish the recipe was included.

A novel about family that creeps into mystery territory. There was a lot going on here and, ultimately, that’s what made this not quite hit for me. Lots of characters and plot turns.

I was unsure at first if I was going to like this book but thought I'd give it a chance. It's good from beginning to end. It will hit you in the feelings especially if you have siblings. It's so heartfelt and relatable. I think something I took away from this book is everyone should have an identity no matter what race, sex, religion, etc. you are as one's identity is all they have in life. It can be confusing and makes someone unsure.

This was a beautifully written story and I see much success for Black Cake!!

First book I’ve read by this author. It didn’t disappoint and I can’t wait to read more by her! Thanks to publisher for granting me access to this book.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
Reviewed by Barbara Lingens

Byron and Benny have a problem: their mother, recently deceased, has left behind a recording detailing her life before marriage. There they find out they have an older sister. Even their father did not know about her.

Black Cake shows us how the siblings come to terms with this important new information. The story meanders from a lovely Caribbean island, with family members both native and Chinese, to bustling London and Scotland, and finally, to southern California. People come and go and then come back again. Names are changed; there are hidden crimes and magnificent friendships. The joys of cooking compete with the thrills of ocean swimming.

The black cake is a delicious family confection prepared only for special occasions. There is no recipe; it must be learned from a loved one and eaten with love. Their mother urges them: 'Eat it only when you ready. You will know when that is.'

This multicultural family saga depicts many kinds of struggles, from gender to culture and class, which are very timely for us to read. But it is the characters' struggles with love, longing, and loss that tug at the heart. Author Wilkerson's first novel is bountiful in scope, yet quite satisfying.

WOW! Loved this book. Black cake is a dual timeline story of siblings finding out about all the lies and family secrets of their parents. After the death of their mother Eleanor, Benny and Byron are following her last wishes and listening to a recorded tape she made before her death that explains she was not who they thought she was. I found it very interesting to hear about life in the 1960's on a Caribbean island. Historical fiction fans should add this book to their to read list. This is the first book by this author I have read but I hope to heard more from her. Thanks to author Charmaine Wilkerson, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

This multigenerational story artfully weaves in and out of the present and the past while conjuring up strong imagery of the caribbean which is retained well past island departure. The author does nice work building real characters and allowing the story to unfold on its own. It was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to others.