This book, unfortunately, was just not for me and I was unable to finish it. I didn't like the characters and the story-line was so convoluted that I just could not get into it at all. I am very disappointed as I was really looking forward to this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Charmaine Wilkerson and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story begins in present day, but quickly jumps back in time as we follow the extraordinary journey of the family matriarch. The past and present are intertwined throughout with twists and turns along the way. I enjoyed the book and wanted to see how it all played out and was surprised to find myself in tears at the end. The story was more impactful than I realized.

I think this will be quite popular and I look forward to the Hulu series.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read Black Cake in exchange for my honest review! Wilkerson's writing is beautiful and I really enjoy her story telling! There was a lot to unpack here and it was heartbreaking. This will be highly ranked for sure!

Wow. This was a story with so many interweaving parts. I enjoyed the present day story, intertwined with the past. I really felt for Eleanor, the secrets she kept inside of her for so many years! Byron, Benny, Marble all had so much to learn upon her death.

An interesting balance of past and present via an audio-recording which gave me Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes in that sense. It really is about family, loss and choices that change your life. And, just like the cake the book it is titled after, supposed to be savored.

I first picked up this book and thought, “I’ll just read a couple of pages to see how the book starts,” and then I finished it in a day and a half.

Each chapter told from a different perspective makes for a page-turning experience.
While this may not be a pro for every reader, I thoroughly enjoyed the layout of the book. Each chapter is told from one of the characters own perspective. Now, hear me out! These are small, bite-sized chapters with makes for an enjoyable, gripping experience.

The range and development of human emotions is so well done and relatable.
As a mark of an amazing author, I found myself identifying and relating to every character – even when they were at odds with another character I had also identified with. From the loosening up of Byron’s hurt to the growth of Benny’s decisions to the realization and acceptance of [spoiler-free] – every character is so real. I loved every one of them.

I really recommend this book.
Stars 4
Would I Recommend? Yes

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson is a thematic masterpiece in running and in coming to know a different culture. It begins, and often returns to, the West Indies (Caribbean) in 1965, not so long ago. Or maybe it is in terms of change. Covey (Covetina) was born to an unmarried union between a black woman of the islands and a Chinese (second generation) man. Mr. Lin was a decent man but a gambler, and not a good one. In that stead, he got himself mixed up with bad people. Mathilda, Covey's mother, and Pearl, her friend, baked cakes. Mr. Lin never thought they were making much money, but when it came time to leave, her half got her off the island. She was going to come back and get Covey, then, she fell off the radar. Meanwhile Covey was growing up: swimming in the ocean with her friends Bunny and Gibbs. When it came time for Gibbs to leave and go to England for school, he wanted Covey to come with him, but she was to follow. That never happened as her father, to pay his debts, married her off to a bad man. At the reception, the Bad Man, fell over dead, and Covey ran. They found her wedding dress on the beach. The rest of the book is what followed.

This is a mystery as well as a love story. It also follows the time that Covey's children learned their mother's secret: she had ha a life before them. Difficult for even grown children to hear, this was especially difficult, as it was not the life they expected. Covey's was a life. It was a different time and certainly different circumstances. It was an intense read, but so worth it. The strength and determination of this woman is beyond expectation. After her death, things kind of came together for a lot of people and Wilkerson was there for all of it. It was a beautiful novel, full of love and devotion and secrets. I loved it!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Black Cake by Ballantine Books through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #ballantine #blackcake #charmainewilkerson

Even though the prose is smooth-flowing and easy to settle in with, the very short chapters that bounce all over the place between different perspectives and different time periods completely destroy any sense of engagement that I could have found with Black Cake. Also, the premise of a family learning about the past at the death bed or funeral of a loved one is way overdone. I just couldn’t get over all of the gimmick. Black cake tries to be and do way too much. The book did not work for me at all.

Thank you to Charmaine Wilkerson, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Charmaine Wilkerson is quite the story teller and it’s hard to believe that her multicultural novel, Black Cake, is a debut!

After the death of their mother, Elly, Byron and Benny find out that their history is rather dubious. Elly has left not only a will, but a video retelling the story of her life. A story until now, few people knew and only her lawyer knows it all.

Benny walked out on a Thanksgiving dinner years previously when her family questioned her lifestyle and hasn’t been back since. There’s much healing to be done, but will her mother’s story be able to heal the regret and broken places in Benny’s heart?

Byron has been a steadfast son and while he missed Benny, he never reached out and the bond that was once so strong is now tenuous.

As they listen to their mothers narrative, there are many secrets in her past. One that has held her captive all of her life, one that she hopes her children can finally bring full circle.

At the center of the story is a special cake. A cake that is the only thing Elly has from her childhood. A recipe that she has since passed onto Benny.

Leaving her final black cake wrapped and in the freezer she’s told them they’ll know what to do when the times right.

Multi layered, Wilkerson takes us on a journey from a Caribbean island in the sixties, to the UK and eventually California. Filled with amazing fleshed out characters, her story is one of gender, culture and class. It’s a love story of home, family, loss, race, and second chances. It’s also a story that will leave you pondering well after the last page is turned.

I liked the way Black Cake began. Siblings Bryon and Benedetta (Benny) Bennett meeting with their mother’s estate attorney. Eleanor Bennett has died and she left an audio recording for her grown children telling them everything about her past.

We are taken back to an island in the Caribbean, where we meet a young girl named Covey. We get pieces of her story (her mom left, her dad drinks & gambles, and she loves to swim in the ocean with her friend Bunny) and the story of Byron and Benny interspersed with Eleanor's recording. The problem is that more and more gets added to the story and eventually there are too many characters, too many POVs, too many shifts in the timelines - feels very much like the throw everything but the kitchen sink approach,

The author covered so many social issues that the story seemed weighed down at times. On the positive side, I enjoyed the historical aspects of island life and the emphasis on the importance of food and traditions. The black cake is a rum-soaked fruit cake made from a beloved family recipe.

This was a debut that I looked forward to reading, but it left me disappointed. There are plenty of glowing reviews, so please check them out.

“Black Cake” is a novel of duel timelines that goes between present day adult children learning about their mother’s real history and flashbacks to that time period through her eyes. You learn there are connections between characters, but have to wait for those to unfold. This builds some suspense in a book that could otherwise be a bit slow at times. But perhaps it was the familiar elements of Caribbean culture that added a bit more spark to it for me. Despite there being a little down time in the more exciting aspects of the book, you anticipate all the connections coming together toward the end, so you start rapidly turning the pages to reach toward that conclusion. Solid book-4 stars ⭐️. I hear that Oprah is helping to adapt this into a Hulu series, so I’m excited to see how this comes to life. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for review.

𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 is a story within a story. I loved all of the characters in this novel so much and could not put this book down!

 ✨𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆: February 1, 2022

𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤:
Two estranged siblings, Bryron and Benny, must set aside their differences to deal with their mother's death and her hidden past. Left with a video message and a tradition Caribbean Black Cake, the siblings learn the shocking truth about their moms past. Just when one layer is pulled back they find many layers to go. What will Byron and Benny find out about their mom and will it change the way they feel about their family?

Set in present day California this book goes back in time to the 1960s to an unknown island in the Caribbean. A multi-generational story that is beautifully written and captivating.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:🤔
✨One of the best debut novels I have ever read!

📖 A page turner

🎭 Love, loss, family, hardships, racial profiling, environmental issues to just make a few themes.

➿The novel moves from one timeline to another seamlessly.

😢An emotional read that I will not stop recommending over and over again!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5 stars for this beautifully written debut novel that I devoured in two sittings. A Must Read! One of my favorite reads in January.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a rich epic that switches between timelines and locations (1960s-70s and the present, the Caribbean/UK and the US). I was more invested in Covey than her children, but that's how Charmaine Wilkerson sets this up. The flashbacks are rich in their descriptions of the food and the geography but more sparse in the retelling of events (especially traumatic events); it's a technique that doesn't always work but is effective here. It adds to the secrecy and the purposeful lack of closure not only for Covey's children, but also for the reader.

There are a few dramatic moments that I wish had been excised in favor of more character development, but overall this is an excellent debut. Read it slowly so you can savor it.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing me a copy

This books discuss about two siblings and their mother’s past. It is a journey overseas and into the past. It is whimsical and impeccable story. Hard to put down !

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! This book was everything I wanted and more. Read it.

Byron and Benny's mother has left them a traditional Caribbean Black Cake and a voice recording as their inheritance. In this recording, Eleanor reveals her life's story which is not anything like what the two siblings know about her. It rocks their world. And will they know when the time is right to eat the Black Cake like their mother says?

I have way too much to say about this one. Bottom line: I loved it and think you should read it. Byron and Benny showed so much growth in their understanding of themselves, each other, and Eleanor. This book is not one I would describe as "action packed" since a significant chunk of it took place in the same setting. If you're into character driven novels focusing on family dynamics, this is definitely a book for you. Find more on why I loved this book on my blog www.kirstensbooknook.com.

5/5 Stars

CW: death of a parent, abuse, rape, murder, forced adoption, racism

Is it too early to say Black Cake will be my favorite book of 2022? I have not been able to stop thinking about this book since I read it and I cannot recommend it enough. It is smart and beautifully written. The author has such magnetic prose and makes you truly connect with the characters. I cannot believe this is by a debut author!! I can’t wait to read more by Charmaine Wilkerson.

The story spans several decades, continents and the many lives lived by Eleanor Bennett. She has been a child, a daughter, a suspect in a murder, a runaway, a mother and a storyteller. When Eleanor dies, she leaves a mysterious recording and one of her famous traditional Caribbean black cakes for her children. As her estranged children listen to the recording, they are shocked at the family secrets that Eleanor has kept from them all these years. Will these secrets bring the family back together again, or will they tear them apart for good?

We cannot chose who we marry sometimes based on where we live. But sometimes depending on the choices we make we can alter those courses of our life. This book was a pick up based on a Oprah 2022 book to watch out for and I was NOT disappointed. So well written and impactful. Following two best friends who would do anything for each other. Following their lives and how their actions affect each other. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Black Cake is the life story of a young Caribbean woman’s trials and tribulations.
From a forced marriage, giving up an illegitimate child, fleeing her island family and friends because of being accused of murder, to living a secret life, this dramatic epic story crosses many decades as, after her death, she leaves a video message explaining to her children many things that they never knew about their beloved mother. And there are several more secrets for them to discover on their own, as they try to salvage their own relationship with each other, which happens to be their mother’s final wish.

The story goes back and forth from then to now, and the chapters are told from the point of view of many different characters. But the adventure and mystery of this dramatic tale keep the reader’s attention, leading to more and more new discoveries. And Charmaine Wilkerson’s writing style makes it an easy read.

Loved it! Hope she has more to come!

I'd like to thank NetGalley, Charmaine Wilkerson, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Awesome debut novel! The author tells an intricate story of an unusual family that spans the Caribbean Islands, the United States, Britain and Italy.

Eleanor Bennett had secrets. Big secrets. So when she realized her time of dying was drawing near, she decided to tell the true story of her life in a recording to her children.

Eleanor’s story begins in the Islands where she became an accomplished swimmer, along with her closest friend, Bunny. When a tragic event occurs at a wedding, Eleanor flees the island and makes a new life in London. Sadly more tragic events follow her, but each time she manages to bounce back. Eleanor eventually moves to California where she raises her family and lives the remainder of her life.

Her children, Byron and Bennedetta (Benny) had spent many years estranged, but when they are brought together at her death, they begin to draw closer again, as they had been during the years when they were growing up. They also find out things they would have never imagined about their mother and their family heritage.

I found this a bit slow in getting to the meat of the story, but I was captivated by the story and I must say, I was not disappointed. This would be a great book for book club discussions. I highly recommend this one to readers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance review. I am happy to offer my honest review.

A story about siblings that were once very close. When their mother passes away, they are brought back together. The mother left them a recording she made before she passed away. In the recording she tells of old secrets that she has never told them about.
Black Cake is a very unusual story that I had a hard time finishing. Talk about character overload. It was just a bit too much for me.
Sorry to say this just wasn’t a book I could get into.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.