This was a thoroughly enjoyable book to read. The in-depth story telling of each character gave life to the overall storyline. I will admit to getting confused sometimes with all the names being brought forth through the characters friends, families, history, children, and “alter-characters”. However, each had their individual component to the telling and outcome of the story of Covey and Gibbs. What a complicated life they led in order to be together in their love of each other. The “black cake” was its own critical component of their life story and I enjoyed the way it was brought into the story consistently in order to keep it as such. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballentine Books for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #TheBlackkCake

Thank you for the ARC Netgalley. This book started really strong for me. I was grabbed by the opening and really excited to learn more about this mystery. Originally, I really liked the way the short chapter alternating between multiple characters but about mid-way through the book this style made the book seem too long. I kept losing steam and having to put the book down.

The writing was really beautiful and the characters were robust but overall I felt like the book needed to be edited down.

BLACK CAKE by Charmaine Wilkerson is a beautifully-written multigenerational saga that I found impossible to put down. Told from multiple points of view and in dual timelines, this epic story takes the reader on a journey from a Caribbean island to London to Southern California over many decades. In the present, estranged siblings, Byron and Benedetta (Benny), are forced to reunite after eight years apart when their mother, Eleanor Bennett dies. Eleanor’s attorney informs them that their mother left behind an eight-hour audiotape that they must all listen to together before sharing some of her traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe that had been passed down through several generations. In the recording, Eleanor reveals the heart-breaking story of her past, full of long-buried secrets and mysteries that leave the siblings reeling. How could they not have known of their mother’s life and their true heritage? As Eleanor’s past is uncovered, they learn of shocking events and unthinkable choices Eleanor has had to face. Will the new understanding of Eleanor’s strength and resilience allow Byron and Benny to repair their fractured relationship and support one another as they had in the past? The story explores many sensitive societal topics with care and compassion. The descriptions are vivid and the characters are wonderfully-portrayed. This powerful and thought-provoking story will stay on my mind for a long time and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

Release Date: February 1, 2022 [Thank you to NetGalley and the published for providing me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

BLACK CAKE is the story of two siblings, Byron and Benny, who must reunite and repair their relationship while learning the truth of their parents’ secret past.

I REALLY enjoyed this book, which reads like Taylor Jenkins Reid meets Isabel Allende meets Brit Bennett meets something all its own. For a 400-page novel, it read surprisingly quickly and kept me engaged the entire way through, with just enough mystery to keep me turning the page. I wasn’t shocked (or even surprised) by any of the developments of the story, including the final “reveal,” but I cared so much about the characters that didn’t matter.

This is a book that deals with important and serious subjects, but does so with a lot of heart and a lot of warmth—to me, it felt like the perfect Black History Month read (though of course deserves to be read year-round!) because it showcases Black joy, accomplishment, and love while still grappling seriously with questions of race, gender, sexuality, and more. Finally, as someone who loves food and understands the deep importance of cherished family recipes, I absolutely loved that the title cake was centered as the heart of this story. In short—run, don’t walk, to get a copy of this one!

[NOTE: I am white and this is not an Own Voices review. Please listen to and amplify the voices of those speaking with the perspective of lived experience!]

Recommended for anyone, but especially those who like: Taylor Jenkins Reid; family-based historical fiction; stories about family secrets and love in all its forms.

CW: Sexual assault/rape; mentions of suicide/suicidal thoughts; terminal illness/death of a loved one; intimate partner violence.

Benny has been estranged from her parents and her brother Byron for nearly a decade. When their mother passes away, B and B (as their ma called them) find out that she left them two things: hours of voice recordings and one of her famous black cakes tucked away in the freezer for them to share “when the time is right.” As they listen to their mother’s story, in which she reveals family secrets that had been hidden for years, they learn that their mother was so much more than the woman they thought they knew.

I was absolutely captivated by this gorgeous debut novel. Wilkerson’s characters are richly crafted – flawed but relatable, and utterly compelling. B and B’s journey of discovery is a nonlinear timeline that takes them from mid-century Caribbean to London to Edinburgh, all the way to present-day California. Many complex issues are highlighted, including colonialism, racism, sexism, sexual identity, and self-preservation. I especially loved the way the black cake illustrates how food is interwoven with culture, family, and love.

“Black Cake” is generating a lot of buzz, and is sure to be a darling of book clubs and bestseller lists in 2022. If you love historical fiction and multi-generational family sagas, you’ll want to make sure it’s on your to-read list too!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House – Ballantine Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson is a dual timeline story that is multi-generational. First, the title. Black Cake was/is made in the West Indies for special occasions. The base of the cake is port, rum and chopped fruit. These are marinated for months and months and eventually are added to other ingredients to make this unique “island” cake. I was drawn to this book because my grandma and great grandma came from the “islands” and made something very similar. As in any multi-generational story the recipe is the constant thread that is passed from generation to generation.

The story begins with an ending. Two estranged siblings Benny and Byron come together after the death of their mother. The water that carries the story is the mother. It is the story of her life that was only shared with her husband and she only shares 99%. Her children would only find out about their heritage when mom leaves an eight hour video tape explaining everything that has transpired during her lifetime. The interesting catch is the estranged siblings must watch the video together. It is only after they start listening do they realize how little they knew about their parents.

“Benny is thinking, too, about another kind of inheritance, a spirit of defiance that she sees, now, comes from her mother. Her mother, too, struggled to find her way despite other people’s expectations, other people’s definitions of the kind of woman she was supposed to be. Her mother, too, kept closing doors and moving on.”

“When she fled the island, his mother lost everything but she carried this recipe in her head wherever she went. That, and the stories she’d spent a lifetime concealing from her children, the untold narrative of their family. Every time his mother made a black cake, it must have been like reciting an incantation, calling up a line from her true past, taking herself back to the island.”

Some of the revelations in Eleanor’s video were expected but others were shocking. The story keeps you involved until the very end.

There are familial issues, long held resentments, regrets, freedom, abandonment, secrets, lies, interracial marriage, identity theft, West Indian Island life, and if that is not enough there is climate change as well as environmental protection.

There are a vast number of issues in this book and many of them are sensitive in nature. Ms. Wilkerson handles these issues with care and respect. Her writing is wonderful. This story is her author’s debut. Ms. Wilkerson knows how to get the reader to ‘feel’ the struggles, the secrecy, the misunderstanding, the arguments and the perceived hurts. I was reduced to tears during parts of this story. I was also empowered by their sense of resilience. When the story was complete, I just allowed the emotions and the power of love and the lessons of expectations to take hold.

Well done. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Wilkerson has in store for us next. I would like to thank Random House – Ballentine, the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 of 5 stars
Covey and Bunny are best friends and daring swimmers living in the West Indies. Covey is in love with Gibbs, another swimmer, but Bunny has eyes for Covey. When Covey's dad marries her to a gangster, their lives change forever.
Years later, Byron and Benny are called to a lawyer's office to handle their mother's estate. They are asked to listen to a recording made by their mother where she details her life and the secrets she has held for over 50 years.
Benny and Byron must come to terms with their mother's story, and Black Cake, a recipe from the islands plays a part.
I loved this story of love and loss. It is a story that is told in luscious and rich terms.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC, All opinions are my own and freely given.
#BlackCake #NetGalley

don’t even think I can do this beautiful book justice.

“Sometimes, the stories we don’t tell people about ourselves matter even more than the things we do say.”

BLACK CAKE is about family, surviving, lies, finding your place in the world.

Benny and Byron are siblings who haven’t seen each other in years. After the death of their mother, Benny comes home to California to listen to the audio recording their mother left for them. During this recording, they learn about their mother’s life — much different than what they thought they knew.

BLACK CAKE is one of the most beautiful debuts I have had the pleasure of reading. Charmaine Wilkerson weaves a story that follows the past and present in such an organic way. This book and it’s characters will stay with you — and have you craving a piece of black cake of your own.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I've been sitting on this one for weeks and I'm finally getting to the review.

WOOHOO! This was my first 5 star of the year. I saw plenty of buzz leading up to its release on BOTM and it comes out officially TOMORROW. Ya'll should read it.

Benny and Byron, two estranged sibling who haven't spoken to each other in years, gather after the death of their mother (Did I just write plot summary for an inferior book? I did, wow.) We flip back and forth between present day and the story of Covey, a swimmer from the Caribbean who is forced into marriage by her father and runs away to London.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away, because it's part of the fun of this book and the way it unfolds is just beautiful. It's a story about generational trauma and diaspora, family legacy, love, identity, protecting our planet, and being a survivor. Covey's story is one I will not forget.

<I>Black Cake</I> was beautifully written in shortish chapters, which meant it flew by for me. If you enjoy complex family dramas that touch on important social topics, this one will be a winner for you, too.

A multigenerational tale of identity and acceptance. How do you teach your children about where they come from if you have to keep your past hidden? After the death of their mother, a brother and sister discover their true family history told through video messages their mother recorded.

The story is beautifully told with the central metaphor of a recipe for black cake, with all its components that take so much time to prepare. When the final product is shared, you'll feel your heart grow twelve sizes.

Byron and Benny Bennett are estranged siblings connected again upon their mother's untimely death. Each grappling with their own versions of hurt and grief, they learn about their mother's unusual request to eat Black Cake, a family tradition, when the time is right and listen to an audio recording left with her lawyer documenting the truth about the secret life of Eleanor Bennett.

Black Cake is an exceptional Jamaican family saga. Wilkerson's draws the reader in from its opening pages and keeps them riveted with her beautiful prose and multifaceted storytelling. The book spans over fifty years and three continents showcasing the vastness of the Caribbean diaspora and displaying their intelligence, beauty, and their valuable contributions as a people to each society in which their feet land. Although the story is told primarily from the perspectives of Eleanor's children Byron and Benny, I loved that you get the perspectives of multiply side characters whose POV's add both insight and depth to the novel. If you are a lover of suspense, this book has a tantalizing mystery which will keep up at night turning the pages, if you are someone who wants to get into historical fiction Black Cake allows you to dip your feet into the genre, and if you are a romance lover Wilkerson writes a grand romance for the ages. As a lover of all three genres, the book for me was simply brilliant. I highly suggest readers pick up Charmaine Wilkerson's Black Cake.

This was a very interesting book. There were multiple timelines, as children learn the truth about their mother's past after she passed away. It was a beautiful writing style with a light mystery. However, it was largely a character study, which is just not a favorite of mine so it felt very slow to me.

Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Intense and emotional. This debut book is not to be missed. This author holds a lot of promise and I look forward to reading more books from her. If you like strong family dramas definitely check this out. You'll love it. Happy reading!

"And nothing was more beautiful than a girl who was fearless." EVEN if I didn't love Black Cake, I'd still give it 5 stars, just for its heart. I loved the multiple perspectives and these characters, even the shady Mr. Lin. Such an uplifting story of hope and perseverance and how we shortchange ourselves in life. "Question yourself, yes, but don't doubt yourself. There's a difference."

Highly recommend!

P. S. Don't miss the Author's Note, lots of good info within. Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC.

This book started out wonderfully. The story completely pulled me into its orbit and I wanted to learn more about each of the characters. About two-thirds in is where it could have ended in my opinion. The last third felt like the author was trying to tie up loose ends that I didn’t really care about as a reader. It felt scattered by the end and the character development that had been happening, stopped. I liked the first part of the story, but it’s not re-readable to me.

There is a LOT of hype around this book - it was a BOTM pick, and Bookstagram loves it. Overall, this was a win for me - I felt it lived up to the hype. The title is a reference to a rum cake that has been browned with sugar, and connects to the family drama throughline that is at the center of this book.

Benny and Byron, a brother and sister with a fraught relationship, are forced to re-examine their family ties and history after the death of their mother. The story takes us on a ride through history, with a strong voice and impeccable research, to look at how change and secrets impact the shape of our lives.

This book was really well written and captivating. Sometimes the subject matter was difficult so I would put it down for a break but isn't that what makes it great? It was so enthralling and enveloped you in the world that sometimes it was overwhelming. The chapters are short and fly by. In different parts more characters come into play and you wonder why their POV is important, until you don't. I will put this author on my list of ones to watch!

My review will not do justice to this wonderful debut novel.

I need to clear my thoughts before I write a true review.

But- wow, what a story. Beautiful in many ways, unbelievable yet not, tragic, sad, & yet there is love.

Multi generational, multi continents over many years ....it all ties together.

Family reunions and funerals are two events that tend to be the lit match to any family’s gas can of secrets. As readers quickly learn in Black Cake, the Bennett family doesn’t have a gas can so much as a fleet of oil tankers.

This book is a plethora of adjectives… it’s luminous, sticky, sweet, sharp, cutting, thrilling, warm, familiar, foreign, aching, healing… it’s extraordinary. It’s also fragile. Because if I were to tell you any of the exquisite details from this story, I fear you would not experience the magic that is reading it for yourself, just as Wilkerson has deftly planned for you to. And to think this is her first novel!

I could say “this book is for you if…” but there truly are no qualifiers for this book. It is for everyone (though do check out the TW/CW as there are many). It’s a masterpiece of a novel and, should you choose to read it (I hope you do!) and you’re anything like me, then it will transport you through the most epic heartbreaks and triumphant reunions. You will love and loathe these flawed characters in all of their complexities. You’ll question their choices, cry with them, laugh with them, roll your eyes at them, hold your breath for them.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the advanced copy of this book. And thank you to @charmspen1 for writing it! Pre-order a copy or visit your local #indiebookstore when it releases this Tuesday, February 1st. It’s also a @bookofthemonth pick and will be turned into a future series airing on @hulu.

Black Cake is a heart warming story told by Eleanor Bennett. When Eleanor's two estranged children come home to hear their mothers final wishes they find out so much more. I loved how you felt like you knew Eleanor through the eight hour recording of her wishes. Such well developed characters who are all connected.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this digital arc. All opinions are my own.