Black Cake is a stellar debut novel full of mystery and long-buried family secrets. Deeply moving and beautifully written, Black Cake takes the reader on an extraordinary family journey from the 1960s Caribbean to Britain to the United States today. This book addresses so many important issues -- cultural diaspora, discrimination, inter-ethnic tensions, racism, sexuality, gender-based violence, and environmental protection. All these cultural threads are adroitly tied together as estranged siblings Benny and Bryon navigate the death of their mother. This novel is evocative and moving full of longing, loss, second chances and love. It is a must-read!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.5 stars

Charmaine Wilkerson’s Black Cake is a fantastic intergenerational story that interrogates how finite time is, and also explores how the bonds that weave people and families together are steeped in both love and loss.

When Eleanor Bennett dies, her two children, Byron and Benny, are left with a traditional Caribbean black cake and an audio message. As they listen to their mother’s words, they realize just how mysterious she really was, and what kind of sacrifices she and their father had to make to build a life together. Now that she’s gone, they have to decide what to do with the knowledge they’ve gained, and when to eat their mother’s last black cake.

First off, this novel is a stunning debut. The only slight criticism I have is of the decision to use third person present. For some reason, this choice didn’t resonate with me, especially since “present day” is 2019 and this is being published in 2022. So, it took me a minute to become fully immersed in the story. The story is uniquely constructed… almost chaotic in some places, but I found that it really worked in the context of the overall arc. All of the narrative threads were compelling in their own right, and the way that Wilkerson weaves them together is deft.

I also loved how the author doesn’t mince words about the very real barriers that her characters face, due to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Wilkerson’s world is not idealized or fantastical; rather, it is steeped in the very real issues that society has always faced and never really dealt with. The personal growth from core characters is also beautiful and profound. My emotions ran the gamut throughout the story, and its lyrical prose was completely captivating.

I fully understand why this novel is on all of the anticipatory fiction lists. It’s a true gem; one you won’t regret reading.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital copy of the extraordinary debut novel by Charmaine Wilkerson - 5 stars!

When Eleanor Bennett dies, she leaves a voice recording with her lawyer with instructions that it is to be shared with her two children, Byron and Benny. The recording stuns the siblings, giving them background information into secrets that Eleanor kept from them their entire lives, including that they have another sister. Benny has been estranged from the family for years and Byron still holds that resentment deep within. Will their mother's recording help heal their relationship?

This is a gorgeously-written book that explores how secrets, resentments, stories, culture, skin color and even recipes can shape who we are, how we are seen, and how we think about our place in the world. The perfect book club selection, this book will have you thinking about so much from the environment, to racial issues, women's roles. Ultimately it is a story about what we will do for love in all shapes, the sacrifices and risks we will take, loss and regrets. Each of these characters is so fully developed - I didn't want the story to end. An absolute must read, do not miss novel - I'll be thinking about this book and these characters for quite a while!

“The thing about identity. There’s your family history, there’s how you see yourself, and then there’s what others see in you. All these elements factor into your identity, like it or not.”

Black Cake is a book with (no pun intended) so many layers to it. Broken into short chapters from multiple perspectives, Wilkerson’s work touches on issues that include multi-faceted family drama, intergenerational trauma, racial prejudice, sexual orientation, identity, shame, resentment, acceptance, the breaking of trust, survival, and more. For a book that has such depth, though, it doesn’t feel as weighty as it could. I mean this in the best way! Sometimes books with this…MUCH leave the reader feeling bombarded or even depressed, but there was enough determination and hope throughout that it kept me engrossed without feeling too overwhelmed.

The book asks the question multiple times: what would you be willing to do to survive? I really felt for the characters and loved getting to know them more as secrets were revealed and we find out the lengths they would each go to in order to survive. As their family history is unraveled, we also see the traits that bind the characters together. I really enjoyed the cultural aspects of food throughout the book: both the traditions carried on generationally and the culinary diaspora that links people through time and culture.

I’m pretty amazed that this was a debut novel, and I will definitely be on the lookout for Wilkerson’s next book! I’d recommend this for a book club or buddy read, as there is a lot to unpack and discuss!

The premise of the book drew me in: Eleanor Bennett has died and left her adult children, Byron and Bennie, a recorded message revealing a part of her life these two estranged siblings knew nothing about. How devastating would that be, to discover someone dearly loved isn't who you thought she was all your life?

This debut novel was firmly in 5-star territory for me at first. Wilkerson has an engaging writing style and the plot was very intriguing, even though it bounced around quite a lot. But by the time I'd reached the midway point in the story, I started feeling the good plot was being overwhelmed by all the societal issues the characters were confronting, which had the effect of popping me out of the story. I became more analytical and began to care less about the characters. I found myself asking how such a loving family could allow a rift like that to carry on for so long. As they came to see, life is too short!

I received an arc of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This writer definitely has promise!

I wanted so badly to love this book. However, I just didn’t. It seemed to jump around a lot, and the transitions were lacking. It is beautifully Written just a tad chaotic for me. 3.5 rounded up

Had I not received an ARC of this, I probably never would’ve picked it up. With that being said, I’m glad that I gave it a chance!! Definitely not the typical story I would go for, but I enjoyed it. A heartbreaking story of family, love, loyalty and so much more. I would definitely recommend.

Byron and Benny have lost touch over the years, but are reunited under unfortunate circumstances when their mother Eleanor passes away and leaves them an 8 hour audio recording to listen to together. Eleanor lays out the untold history of their family, flipping their worlds upside down.

This multi-generational family drama is a beautifully written debut. I love how Charmaine introduces new characters and then slowly backtracks, allowing you to realize you've met these characters before under different names - it had my curiosity piqued throughout the entire story. The fusion of cultural and culinary diaspora, breathtaking scenery and familial warmth made this a world I wish I could dive right into! I look forward to reading more from Charmaine Wilkerson.

If you wanna chat more about this book, or any books for that matter, connect with me on my bookstagram! @read.with.KC
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for my copy of Black Cake in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Booksfor a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
I was luckily pre-approved for this book and was not sure of what to make of this title and cover. What is this book about? Family and the struggles we are endure... you betcha and then some!

This was such a great read, A little development in the start and then it took off like a rocket! Family secrets and interweaved stories galore! About 1/3 of the way in , I couldn't put it down.
This story is about a young woman from the Islands who learns to grow up quickly and must escape in order to survive. Along the way she finds and loses love, makes friendships that will be more loyal than family and will grow her own family that will make her proud. Plenty of opportunities to use those tissues!

The only negative about this book is that there was A LOT going on and so many side stories that will keep your head spinning, However , I give Charmaine Wilkerson tons of credit for writing it in such a way that I never felt lost and each story added another element to the book. Nice!

This was such an interesting family story with little mysteries to solve along the way. If you enjoy those stories that unwrap like a birthday gift then this is your book. Or should I say a Valentine's Day gift ;D

🏝 ARC REVIEW 🏝

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you, #RandomHouse & #NetGalley for this ARC of #BlackCake in exchange for an honest review (spoiler alert: it’s all positive)!

“The thing about identity. There’s your family history, there’s how you see yourself, and then there’s what others see in you. All these elements factor into your identity, like it or not.”

This story follows two estranged siblings who have to deal with the death of their mother, who has devised a plan in her will to repair their relationship. Eleanor Bennett has left specific instructions (& the last of her famous black cake) for her children not to cut into the cake until the time is right. Byron & Benny are then taken on a journey to their mother’s past in the Caribbean, London, & LA; both soon realize that they knew very little of who their mother was.

This novel is a breathtakingly beautiful account of identity, & the many complexities and nuances that go into it. Byron struggles to establish himself as a Black man in STEM while also juggling the role of loyal, obedient son; Benny struggles as a bisexual woman, who’s looking for Home after feeling like her parents don’t accept her for her she is. The more these two dive deeper into their parents’ history, the more they start to understand themselves.

The accounts of island life in the Caribbean are what really made this book for me. There is so much history steeped in that part of the world that I didn’t know about, & I appreciated how delicately Wilkerson handled her depictions of colonial influences as well as immigrants to those islands. From the discussion of the diaspora of food to climate change to social justice specifically in academia/STEM, the author touches on so many issues to spark interest in things that are often deemed trivial. I cannot say enough good things about this novel—I am in awe that this is a debut! If this one isn’t on your radar, that needs to change immediately. Probably my favorite read this month & definitely in the running for Book of the Year 👏🏽
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Black Cake, Charmaine Wilkerson

I want to preface this review by saying that this book was written BEAUTIFULLY, it just wasn't for me. I can absolutely understand the 5 star reviews it received, but I just personally didn't really enjoy it. I just don't think this genre is for me.

What I Liked:
-The characters had such depth and were so well rounded and genuine. They each had their own struggles they were dealing with that were revealed as the book continued.
-I loved the format of this - how the entire story was told through Eleanor's tapes.
-The connections between everyone and the way they were revealed was really, really well done.
-I enjoyed the connection to the islands and the symbolism behind the black cake.

What I Didn't Like/Wanted More Of:
-This book was S L O W. I almost DNF'd a few times because it was so slow, but I'm glad I stuck it out.
-The ending was rushed - I felt like the author could have gone deeper into some of the events at the end rather than spending so much time on some of the events early on. All of the action and, in my opinion, the best parts of the book happened at the end.

Charmaine Wilkerson's debut novel was a hit for me. I love stories anchored around a family food tradition, in this case, Caribbean black cake. The author's descriptions of the dense, gooey cake led me off down rabbit holes exploring online recipes. I decided that baking my own version of the cake was way out of reach, so instead, I ordered a black cake online. They are so steeped in rum the cake will only get better during shipment. I can't wait to try it.

But this is a book review. Black Cake tells an original, complex, and satisfying family saga. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters and their life stories. Even though I've read a fair number of stories set in the Caribbean or from Caribbean immigrants' perspectives, I learned many new things from Wilkerson's novel.

I predict you will enjoy this book if you enjoy female-centered family sagas, are comfortable with alternating timelines and points of view, and like exploring how culture becomes embedded in family lore. T

There are many characters in the novel, some with bit parts. I read an eBook version and was happy I had a search feature to help me remember those bit players. An audio version may be harder to follow.

The author probably touches on a few too many contemporary issues not directly contributing to the storyline throughout the book. In my opinion, the editing process could have tightened this up a bit (and I've noticed some reviewers were put off by this more than me). This feature did not detract from my enjoyment of the book at all.

I strongly recommend this novel, think it is a fantastic selection for a book club, and look forward to the author's next book.

Netgalley provided me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A big, beautiful book about everything. About family and culture and race and sexual orientation and heredity. About life on an island in the West Indies, in the United Kingdom, and in the United States. There is a murder mystery. There is abandonment and hurt and big big secrets. Lots of secrets. There is estrangement and misunderstandings and lies. There are the restrictions and the constricted world and the limited possibilities for women in the 1960s and 1970s. There is true and deep friendship between women. There is a mysterious will with unconventional stipulations. There is swimming and surfing and the oceans. Always the oceans. There is compassion and discovery and reconciliation. And there is forgiveness and love. The tradition of making Black Cake, as well as the recipe, is passed through generations of women. The preparation of Black Cake is the expression of love.

This is a rich, compelling story that was a pleasure to read. I recommend it, and I thank Ballantine Books (a division of Penguin Random House LLC), NetGalley, and the author, Charmaine Wilkerson, for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Wow. I absolutely LOVED this novel and can't wait to see what Charmaine Wilkerson comes out with next. I cannot believe that this is a debut.

But first, a brief synopsis from the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books: "In this moving debut novel, two estranged siblings must set aside their differences to deal with their mother's death and her hidden past - a journey of discovery that takes them from the Caribbean to London to California and ends with her famous black cake."

It's a chunky book and there are A LOT of characters. But I felt like this really just deepened the story in so many ways. This is the kind of book that you need to sit down and take time with and really immerse yourself in the story. I voraciously devoured this story in two days. I would get home from work, cozy up, and dive deep back into the story. Such a beautiful experience. I cried, I laughed, I got angry. Charmaine Wilson's writing is STUNNING and it made me feel so many things.

Some interesting and important topics brought up in this novel include surf culture and how surfing was NOT invented by white, blond men in California; the experience of being black and especially a black man in America, dealing with police bias; climate change, conservation, ocean science and oceanfloor mapping; the diaspora of food and culinary history; the fragility and complexity of family dynamics; and commentary on the bisexual experience. All of these topics are woven so wonderfully into the story and help enrich the narrative in many ways. Excellent book. I highly recommend.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book about two siblings who have fallen out of touch.
Mostly because they are unable to see and accept each other for who they have become.
Upon their mothers death, and the reading of her will including a last secret message she has left for her children, the two siblings are thrown back together in a search to understand their shared history.

Very compelling story!

And there is black cake.

Discussed on Episode 143 and 144 of the Book Cougars Podcast

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson is the story of two estranged siblings who must set aside their differences to deal with their mother’s sudden death. Bryon and Benny Bennett will soon learn that there was more to their mother than they ever knew. After their mother’s death, they learn she left them a voice message, sharing her past, a past she kept hidden from everyone. Her request is that after they hear her message, they sit down when the time is right and share the last black cake she has ever made, made from a family recipe steeped in tradition. Eleanor’s story begins with a headstrong young swimmer in the Caribbean who escapes under a cloud of suspicion. Together, brother and sister learn their mother’s heartbreaking tale filled with the secrets she has held, and would challenge everything they thought they knew about their mother and even themselves. Will Eleanor’s story bring them together once again? Or would the revelations prove to be too much and separate them permanently?
This moving story of a family inheritance is so beautifully written that it's hard to fathom that it is a debut novel. Ms. Wilkerson writes a story so intricate and powerful that the reader is taken on a journey of how one family is forever changed by the choices of the generation before. It is a story of betrayals, secrets, and memories. Black Cake reminds the readers that while we cannot choose what we inherit, we can choose who we become. There are many characters with many shifts in timelines and points of view that can get confusing if one is not reading close. I enjoyed the family saga aspect of the story with the emphasis on food and the memories it can invoke. However, there were too many topics covered in terms of cultural, social and political issues that it, at times, bogged down the story. The use of foreshadowing and the element of surprise was overused that a pattern emerged that when a twist was revealed, it wasn’t much of a surprise. Some I figured out almost as soon as another person was introduced in the story. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Black Cake and would highly recommend it.

Black Cake is available on February 1 in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson is a captivating family saga.

A woman's dying wish is for her children to finally learn about the secrets she has been holding on to for decades. But will these secrets drive her already estranged children further apart, or will they reconnect over an unknown history.

This book has qualities I don't usually enjoy, but for whatever reason it really worked for me here. First, this is a character based novel through and through. Covey's story is captivating and heart wrenching. Her story was at times suspenseful, heart breaking, and hopeful. It is definitely the storyline that holds the entire book together, and the one I felt most connected to.

Black Cake also has a large cast of characters. That being said, Wilkerson is extremely well organized in how she introduces the cast and when gives each character's point of view. I never felt overwhelmed by the amount of characters or points of view. There was only one time where I felt it got repetitive, and right when I had that thought the book moved on.

As previously mentioned I felt most connected to Covey's story and the characters directly related to her as a teenager: Bunny, Pearl, and Gibbs. I felt that Covey's children were at times a bit entitled and whiney. That being said, I felt maybe they ended up the way they did because of the advantages they were given by their parents.

Black Cake is a captivating and though provoking story of identity and I would absolutely recommend it!

I absolutely adored this novel! I really liked the switching point of views and how the stories just seemed to fold together. Wilkerson's characters are all highly defined--I felt like even the side characters had a distinct voice. Benny and Byron were very relatable, and I really liked how their relationship was portrayed. However, I do feel like a lot was squeezed in, issue or backstory-wise. While it all eventually came together, at times it felt like a wheel of fortune was being spun to decide the next tragic event. As a whole, really enjoyed this book. The cover is stunning, I love the ocean line art, and it was very pleasing aesthetically. Pretty sure this is my book of the month and I'm definitely going to try and convince my friends to read it so we can scream about it together.

Really, a beautifully written book with such well-developed characters. This is one I had to contemplate and go back to, contemplate and go back to over and over. I just loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I loved this sweet book about the relationship between estranged siblings. Quick read. I can’t wait to read more from this author.