Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books & NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This debut was definitely in the "amazing" category and worth all of its 5 stars! It's a story of family, identity, and tradition, told from the points of view of several of the characters. The multiple voices narrating the characters' struggles, triumphs, and histories assist in bridging one generation to the next. As Ballentine Books' Executive Editor Hilary Teeman says, this is "a saga about a mother’s secrets, a family’s uncertain future, and the legacy of what we inherit through our recipes, our pasts, and often our untold stories."

The first characters we meet are brother and sister Byron and Benny in current day, as they listen to the recording their recently deceased mother left for them, narrating the previously unknown story of her life. The author adds characters and situations, locations and various historical periods a little at a time in each of the short and quick moving chapters, as one might add recipe ingredients which will come together in a delicious story to feast upon. Sorry, I couldn't resist the food allusions.

I really liked the way the characters discover their connections to each other as we learn of their secrets and how the novel all comes together to illustrate the concepts of home and family, longing, loss, second chances, and love. One of the most important themes that comes up repeatedly is risk, and several characters demonstrate their determination to take a specific risk in order to survive. Author Wilkerson explains that "Most of the characters in this novel are people who do not quite fit into the boxes that others expect of them. They struggle against stereotypes and the gulf between their interests and ambitions and the lives which other people expect them to lead, based on gender, culture, or class. Their difficulties are both universal and specific to the times and places in which they live."

Skillfully plotted and beautifully written, I couldn't stop thinking about this deliciously multi-layered story. I highly recommend it.

A stunning debut that was just chosen as the February book club pick for @readwithJenna and is already in development for @hulu by #Oprah #Harpofilms
This book is sure to be a hit. When Eleanor Bennett died it was said at her funeral that everyone knew a different side of Eleanor and that could not be truer. She left behind a mysterious tape recording and one more black cake to her children.
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She shares her tumultuous story of a swimmer who escapes the Caribbean island she called home under the suspicion of murder, starting totally fresh. Her children never knew her storied past, or that they have another sibling. Tied to her entire history is this Black Cake recipe, a treasured recipe that is not just cake but it’s love, history and tradition baked with sugar and dry fruit, but most importantly love.

"𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦'𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦'𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬."

Have you ever gone on a blind date? You know, one where you had a good phone call or exchanged some flirty emails (yes, I'm THAT old that I dated before the apps and texting but go with it!) and your hopes are high going in that this person could be your perfect match. But on the date, even though you like the other person, the conversation is awkward and you just don't gel. You might end up friends but they're just not the one for you. That's how I felt about this book.

There's so much about 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗖𝗔𝗞𝗘 that appealed to me - long-buried family secrets coming to light, a multigenerational story that spans continents, and interesting characters - but for some reason, I found myself disinterested. Maybe it's because I went in with such high expectations? It was a good book but I kept waiting to be wowed and I wasn't. That being said, I did love the author's writing and aspects of the story (I'm dying to try a black cake!), and I'll definitely read more from her in the future.

While this one wasn't The One for me, it could be for you, so give it a read. (All of my exes are happily married so clearly not everyone shares my taste!)Thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for the copy to review.

I want to thank Random House - Ballantine Books for allowing me to read and review Black Cake, a debut novel by Charmaine Wilkerson.
“The second time I did it, it was easier.”
The novel is basically about black families from the Caribbean.
Most of it is explained in a letter by an attorney from a mother to her children after her death.
Ms Wilkerson’s characters are very descriptive.
I want to have a piece of black cake!
It’s a good book for Black History month.
The book published 02/01/2022.

Black Cake is a beautiful novel of family, love, secrets, and memories. Covey, Benny, Byron, Marble, Bunny, and Pearl are all characters that will stay with you after you've read the last page. There is a lot to unpack with this novel - it is a very ambitious and moving debut novel from Charmaine Wilkerson. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the chance to read this novel.

Black Cake was truly an engrossing read. I was immediately caught up in the lives of these fascinating characters, although at times I struggled a bit to keep them straight, especially with Covey’s name change. Covey/Eleanor was definitely a determined woman and overcame so many obstacles in her path. She drew me into her life and I was cheering for her throughout the book. Her story took center stage. I enjoyed the addition of long distance swimming and most of all, the black cake. The significance of the black cake for the story line, as well as in the lives of so many characters intrigued me. So many controversial concepts and topics woven throughout the story added so much depth and dimension to the story. I learned a new vocabulary word with diaspora and was fascinated to learn that Jamaica’s is among the largest in the world.
Benny and Byron carried the story forward, but I didn’t find their story as compelling as that of Covey. Pearl and Bunny also came alive for me.
Many many thanks to Charmaine Wilkerson, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for affording me the pleasure of reading an arc of this thought provoking book. You will laugh, you will cry and the characters will remain in your heart.

This writing style was just not for me. I couldn’t enjoy or get into the story because each. Chapter would end abruptly and introduce a new character with no regard to the previous chapter. Actually I don’t even think they were chapters, it was just names of characters. Benny and Byron are about to listen to their mothers tape that she left them after her death and two seconds in it reveals there is a long lost sister of theirs. But then it jumps to Lin and covey and the wife/mother leaves them. It was just not my cup of tea.

Thank you @PRHAudio and NetGalley for the complimentary audiobook and digital galley of the Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson!

Can we take a pause to admire this vibrant beautiful cover? I just adore this beautiful cover, who else feels the same?

Black Cake is a beautifully written debut novel about two siblings, who come together after their mother’s death to deal with her hidden past. The siblings don’t see eye to eye, but they have to set aside their differences, to unravel their mothers past and the secret hidden. theget to the core of the to find a big secret that was hidden to them all this while.

I switched between reading and listening to the audiobook and Lynette Freeman and Simone McIntyre’s narration was right on the mark. No wonder this marvelous piece is a February Bookclub pick by Jenna. It hit the shelves on February 1, 2022

Black Cake follows siblings Byron and Benny as they try to understand the mother they have lost. You’ll be transported across decades and the globe as long-buried secrets of their family are revealed. Delightfully juicy and stunningly wise, Black Cake is a winner.

Anyone else considering baking a black cake during/after reading this?

Eleanor Bennett has passed away and she has left a recorded message for her two estranged children, Byron, and Benny. Leaving behind a message isn't unheard of when a will/inheritance is read. But Eleanor's recorded message is longer than most. In it she shares things with her children that she never shared while she was alive, family secrets, details about her life, a secret child, and more much, much more. Then when they are done listening, they are to share a traditional Caribbean black cake.

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

Byron and Benny are very different people leading very different lives. Their mother's death brings them together and they must face each other, look deep within themselves, all while listening to their mother's story. It's quite a story. It's also full of characters which became a bit much at times.

This story is told in the present and in the past, which worked for me in this novel as we learn about the siblings and their lives, but also about their mother's life as well. There are several themes in this book - identity, family, tradition, loss, acceptance, secrets, how food connects us, reconciliation. I also enjoyed reading as Benny and Byron learned more about their mother. As children, we think we know our parents - and we do to a degree - but we know them as our parents, but we don't know everything about them as their family or friends might now. This awareness was shocking to them, but I feel it did help each to grow..

3/3.5 stars

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

A dying woman leaves an audiobook to her estranged children in order to reconcile them by revealing her background. This book is too much like a soap opera for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters or their many issues and started skimming at about the 25% point. Even the lawyer who drafted the will had issues. Included are unwanted pregnancies, stolen identities and murder. The author also piled on a lot of social issues as well as the personal ones. I didn’t hate this book, but I probably wouldn’t read this author again. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Debut novelist Charmaine Wilkerson says that a younger relative's request for her mother's recipe for black cake got her started "thinking about inheritance and how we choose to keep some things closer to our hearts than others -- especially in a multicultural family like mine." She “never intended to write a story with a cake in it. It just sort of walked into the story.” And inspired the novel's title. Black cake is traditionally served at celebrations in the Caribbean and in Wilkerson's story it "symbolizes family bonds and memories in the face of significant loss, but also a multicultural history. . . . It is a source of joy. But also, it is the offshoot of a less-than-sanguine past."

Black cake figures into the story from the outset. The prologue takes readers to the shore of an island where a bride's abandoned wedding dress is smeared with black cake and lilac icing. Wilkerson depicts a father's anguish and regret, and at least two mysteries. Why would a bride leap up from a wedding feast and disappear into the bay? And could she still be alive, even though her father seems resigned to wait for her body to wash ashore?

Wilkerson immediately whisks readers to Los Angeles in 2018 where Byron, "the African American social media darling of ocean sciences," is about to be reunited with his younger sister, Benny. They were extremely close growing up, but eight years have passed since they last saw each other. Benny didn't even attend their father's funeral, after storming out of the house on a fateful Thanksgiving Day . . . and never returning. Their mother, Eleanor Bennett, texted Benny from time to time over the years, most recently to say, "Benedetta, please come home." Benny didn't return in time. Now Eleanor is dead, and "B and B," as their mother called them, are about to learn about their family history. Their mother recorded the eight-hour story over the course of four days. Her lawyer, Charles Mitch, informs them Eleanor expressly requested that they listen to the recording together -- in its entirety -- in his presence. He warns them to "be prepared" for what they are about to hear.

Eleanor also left a short hand-written note. "B and B, there's a small black case in the freezer for you. Don't throw it out. I want you to sit down together and share the cake when the time is right. You'll know when. Love, Ma." Byron thought his mother never made another black cake after Benny stormed out on that Thanksgiving, and he is shocked when he realizes that she made at least one more. As the recording begins, Byron and Benny are both stunned to hear Eleanor reference a sister they never knew existed. What were the circumstances of her birth? Who is she? Where has she been living all of their lives?

In short chapters, Wilkerson explores the lives of Byron and Benny from their perspectives -- key events during their childhoods, their dreams and regrets, and the bases for the decisions they have made up to the point in their lives at which they have come together to mourn their mother. Benny has just lost her job, while Byron has enjoyed great success in his career as an oceanographer, despite being passed over for the job of director of the institute with which he is affiliated. Neither has found a lasting personal relationship. Lynette, Byron's girlfriend, left him and they haven't spoken in three months. Benny has had a series of relationships and Wilkerson reveals that her sexual orientation was the cause of the rift with her father that was never resolved. Eleanor deferred to him in all things, for reasons Byron and Benny have never fully appreciated.

Interspersed are chapters in which the story of a girl named Covey emerges. She is being raised by her father, Johnny "Lin" Lyncock, on a Caribbean island. Lin owns shops, but drinks and bets on cockfights, finding himself in debt to Little Man, an island gang leader. Covey's mother, Matilda, and her best friend, Pearl, made black cakes with icing flowers that were "second to none" and sold them to residents for special occasions. But many of the island's "upper crust" believed Mathilda "had shown poor judgment" by having a child with Covey's Chinese-born father. One day Covey's mother disappeared with the assistance of a customer, and although Covey believed she would return or at least send for Covey, she never did and Covey has grown into a young woman.

Wilkerson details how "in the spring of 1965, Covey's life veered onto the path that would eventually connect her to Eleanor Bennett." It's a mesmerizing and emotionally resonant tale about Covey, and her life with her father, best friend Bunny, and the boy she falls in love with, Gibbs Grant. Covey's story is punctuated by dreams of her future, devastating heartbreak and loss, abuse, and choices no young woman should ever be forced to make. Not to mention an unsolved murder that overshadows every aspect of Covey's life for decades. It is also a commentary about the time period in which Covey grew up, and an illustration of how unbreakable and affirming friendships can be. Ultimately, it is a story of survival, resilience, and second chances.

Wilkerson deftly moves the story between the past and present, introducing intriguing new characters as she returns again and again to Eleanor's narrative, unraveling mysteries involving those characters at expertly-timed junctures. Each of Wilkerson's characters is developed fully and multi-dimensional. Aside from Little Man and his gang, there are no villains in her tale of a woman who did not share her truth with her children while she still had time and the myriad ways in which hearing the truth only after her death -- as well as the death of their father six years earlier -- impacts the children she loved boundlessly.

The pace of Black Cake never slackens as Wilkerson transports readers from modern-day Los Angeles, to the Caribbean more than fifty years ago, as well as London, Scotland, and Rome. She immerses readers in each location, conjuring each distinct locale's sights, sounds, smells, and culture, always bringing attention back to the three central players in the story. Benny is a thirty-six-year-old woman who has never learned to be comfortable in her own skin, always feeling that she is not living the life she was meant to create for herself but unsure about how to manifest her desires. As her mother's life story is revealed to her, Benny questions why Eleanor didn't understand what Benny was going through and never offered her advice.

Byron, even though a highly recognizable African American man, has been subjected to social injustice but never been empowered to stand up for his rights. Being estranged from Benny, their father's death, and a disturbing incident with Eleanor shortly before her death shook the foundations upon which Bryon built his life and beliefs. His mother once asked him, "What are you willing to do? . . . Are you going to let someone else's view of who you should be, and what you should do, hold you back?" At last Bryon finds the answers to her questions.

And their sister, in whose life food has played an integral part, as well, must come to terms with a truth that she suspected all along. Mr. Mitch endures his own rediscovery of intimacy, as well as heart-wrenching loss.

Wilklerson notes that "many families have stories like these, and when they finally emerge, they often do so in the kitchen, at the table, over a meal, or with a glass in hand." Or via the submission of DNA samples to companies like Ancestry and 23andMe. Black Cake is a scintillating and moving examination of learning to adapt when one's perceptions and beliefs about family members' decisions and choices are upended by revelations of long-held secrets. It's about being willing to cast away old ideas in favor of new understandings about the people one loves -- what they have endured, what motivated the direction their life took, what inspired them to endure adversity. Wilkerson believes that learning our family history can inspire us to accept "seeming contradictions or conflicts in people and cultures without imposing the need to tie things up neatly."

Black Cake is a stunningly-crafted debut work of fiction. Wilkerson's complex and absorbing family drama is imbued with longing, insight, compassion, humor, and, finally, peace for her intriguing and memorable characters.

Loved this one. Family drama novels aren't typically my favorite but I am actually moving to the Caribbean in August and I really enjoyed this story of a family from the islands. Its paced well, very intertwined and the story unfolds beautifully. Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review this. I will be posting my full review on my instagram (@ifyoucan_read_this) in the next few days!

Charmaine Wilkerson makes her fiction debut with BLACK CAKE, a riveting and moving second-chance novel about a fractured family and the lore that brings them back together one last time.

“B and B, there’s a small black cake in the freezer for you…. I want you to sit down together and share the cake when the time is right. You’ll know when.” So begins Eleanor Bennett’s final message to her adult children, delivered in an audio file that her lawyer, Mr. Mitch, tells them took her more than eight hours over four days to record before her death. Byron and Benny were once inseparable --- Byron, the protective, knowledgeable older brother; Benny, his goofy, charming little sister.

But the siblings have been estranged for several years now, with Byron chasing his ambitious career as social media’s favorite hunky Black scientist and Benny wandering aimlessly from one passion to another on a journey of self-discovery. Forced back into one another’s stratosphere by their mother’s death, Byron and Benny are already at one another’s throats when Mr. Mitch explains that her last wish was for them to listen to her tape --- together --- in his presence to learn the truth about their family, how she met their father, and the secret sister they never knew.

BLACK CAKE kicks off at a breakneck speed, with Wilkerson alternating between Byron and Benny’s inner monologues, Eleanor’s tape, and stories of a passionate young swimmer, Covey, growing up on the Caribbean islands. Though juggling multiple narratives, Wilkerson quickly identifies her key players and makes them instantly relatable to readers. Byron is ambitious but cold, and carries a lot of resentment toward his sister. Benny, meanwhile, is hell-bent on proving herself to her family and now feels unmoored without anyone to convince. Covey, brave and bold, is pushed from her homeland and forced to start a new life with almost nothing to her name but her mother’s black cake recipe.

Acting almost as a stage director, only Mr. Mitch knows the truth about Eleanor’s revelations, and his observations of the quarreling siblings provide lots of helpful positioning. Perhaps the main character is Eleanor’s black cake, baked from a family recipe passed down through generations that now carries almost mystical powers and the ability to convey love when words simply won’t do.

Eleanor’s story sprawls over 50 years of family dysfunction, buried hurts and betrayals, love stories, and vibrant, colorful descriptions of Caribbean beaches, rich food and deep emotions. Wilkerson’s approach is kaleidoscopic, centering first on balanced portions of the siblings’, their mother’s and Covey’s stories and then expanding rapidly to introduce supporting characters from each person’s past, jumping continent to continent as the narrative broadens in scope. With every reveal, Wilkerson highlights the ways that each character perceives himself or herself and how it translates to others (spoiler: we’re almost never accurate in our perceptions of ourselves). While this makes for incredibly fun reading, the grander plot takes some dedication to follow. And with each storyline built on another, it is difficult to describe the book without giving away huge plot points.

What I can say is that much like the recipe at the heart of the story, BLACK CAKE is deep, rich and best savored as a special treat. Though the premise of a dying wish and a secret sibling may sound familiar, Wilkerson proves that even the most recognizable plots can become something wildly unique when they are given ample room to grow and populated by distinctive, deeply human characters who contain multitudes. Beyond that, she covers many complicated, poignant themes here --- racism, generational trauma, political divides, queerness and so much more --- but the overarching theme is identity, whether the kind we inherit or the kind we must forge for ourselves.

Through Eleanor’s recording, Byron and Benny inherit the gift of knowledge --- of their familial history but also of themselves. As Wilkerson demonstrates, however, this gift is only half of the story; what matters more is what they will do with it.

With a background in journalism, Wilkerson clearly loves to research details. She uses them to flesh out her stories and make them more accessible. This talent has a tendency to overwhelm here, and while I fear some readers may be turned away by the constantly evolving plot, settings and cast, I urge you to take the time to really savor this one. The complicated legacy of the Bennett family is well worth the effort, and you risk missing out on so many meaty details and themes by turning away at the first sign of a struggle.

Much like the final reveal of Eleanor’s recipe, BLACK CAKE is not “so much a list of firm quantities and instructions as a series of hints for how to proceed.”

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I didn't love this, I didn't hate it. It was a fine read, however, I feel like I will not remember it in some time. I enjoyed the siblings but didn't love their mother's story.

Wow, I was not expecting what I just read. This is a complex story of a family, where everyone holds secrets. There is blame for everyone around, but in the end as all these secrets are revealed no one really is at fault.

Eleanor the matriarch of the Bennett family has passed away. Her two children who have not spoken in years come together to bury her. There is much resentment between Benny and Byron, but as they settle into this new world, Eleanor’s lawyer provides tapes, with their mother’s secrets.

I absolutely do not want to give anything away in this story, as the author is brilliant on how she uncovers each secret and boy there are so many. The novel is so rich with culture, family and forgiveness.

I know it is only February and it has started off so strong with so many great books, but this one might go down as one of my favorites. There is mystery, complex families and so much more. I cannot say enough about this book, so just go out and read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballentine Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Despite their nine year age difference, Byron and Benny grew up as a close unit. They were safe in the love of their parents, knew their parents had sacrificed much in the journey from their own upbringing in the Caribbean, and had great plans for a bright future for their children. The only piece of their Caribbean heritage they maintain is the black cake Eleanor makes for her family.

But one Thanksgiving, Benny destroyed all the family harmony, because she wasn't able to follow the careful plan for her life and couldn't make her parents understand why that was. She wasn't even able to attend her father's funeral.

And now their mother has died. And instead of a normal will, she has left an 8 hour tape, telling her life story and completely destroying the picture her children had of her and their father. Because Eleanor Bennett was NOT Eleanor Bennett. But who was she?

The journey to find that answer is long and twisting, but it is beautiful

So many different ingredients in this book by Wilkerson. It took me a little while to get into this book and I don't know why, but once I did I was swept away by the story of these two siblings. Well written, I enjoyed the POV's. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Eleanor Bennett dies, she leaves behind two things: a long audio recording to be played for her children, Byron and Benny, and a traditional Caribbean black cake in the freezer to be shared when the moment is right. Benny has been estranged from her family for nearly eight years, and it is Eleanor's hope that this recording, which reveals the long and secret backstory of her life, will bring the siblings together and introduce them to a legacy of which they were previously unaware. The cake, ever-present in the freezer, serves as a reminder of the long journey that Eleanor took to come to the United States and provide her children with the life they knew, which included her escape from the island on which she grew up, a train crash and the assumption of a new identity, and the birth of a child who was taken from her by disapproving Catholic nuns. This book has the makings of an exciting multi-generational saga, but unfortunately, nearly all of the reveals (of which there are many) felt a little too convenient, causing the whole story to fall a bit flat. I've seen that this book has been picked up to be turned into a Hulu series, and maybe some of the twists will translate better to dramatics in a TV show, but in this format they sometimes felt forced and not as exciting as intended.

‘Black Cake’ is a moving multi-generational story that takes Covey from the Caribbean to England, to the USA. At the heart of the story is a recipe for Black Cake which passes from one generation to the next. Painful at times, but the story is beautifully written and I’ve never read anything like it. I loved the cultural aspects and how they were woven into the storyline. I haven't read a lot of books set in the Caribbean but I plan on changing that. A huge thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Publishing for the ARC. This should be a top book of 2022.