This was an original multi-generational family drama that at its core addresses cultural self-identity and the resilience of the human spirit. Through multiple timelines and interconnected family stories, the reader comes to learn the power of family recipes that are passed down in the form of oral histories: Black Cake is the both cultural and symbolic center of this story. Across decades and even centuries, from the Caribbean to the UK and the Wedge in Newport Beach, California, we are taken on an epic journey of self-discovery for two estranged siblings. Byron and Benny, who lose their mother and are left with a cryptic message and lengthy recording that reveals a previously unknown family history centered on their mother, Eleanor Bennett. Beautiful writing, with many layers that include powerful messaging on the global environmental challenges that we, as humans, all must face together - regardless of our race, ethnicity, or heritage.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first revision…I’m not sure why I feel that I should say this but I am not an African American. This book is about African Americans it covers several generations that started in the “islands “. It’s a good book but I don’t think it’s a great book. At times it was hard to follow and the author rambled about something that was only minutely important to the story. At times I wanted to just throw the book away and at other times I wanted to learn more about the characters and I couldn’t pull myself away. In a lot of the books I have read, I felt like I could actually know the characters and in some way identity with them, no matter their ethnicity or color ~ I don’t even remember a book where I thought about those issues. But in this book I did. For a first book it was okay. I will be interested in reading the authors second book and maybe even third. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

Covey Lyncook was just a young girl when she was promised to be married to a horrible man. But when he dropped dead at their wedding and Covey disappeared, it prompted a lifetimes worth of questions. What happened to Covey and was she responsible. In present day, Eleanor Bennett has just passed away and left her children Byron and Benny a recording of her life’s story - and they begin to realize their mother isn’t who they thought she was.

This book is good but could’ve used another round of serious edits and about 100 pages less. The main story in the book was very interesting and I was really invested in it. But that storyline was wrapped up with more than 50 pages to go.

It feels like the author was trying to do too much within one story. There were unnecessary mysteries as well as side stories around the degradation of our oceans, workplace discrimination, the relationship between black men and police, and so much more. While those are all important topics, trying to weave them into this book with just a quick scene here and there made it feel useless.

I really liked the story of Covey and Eleanor, but I wish the author had stuck to that storyline only.

This book will be reviewed on episode 20 of the Reading Through Life podcast, available Jan 5, 2022.

Upon the death of their mother, estranged siblings Byron and Bunny finally learn the truth of her life through an audible recording she has left for them. As the story spins out, they learn about their family history and we learn about them, the widening circles of connection encountered by multitudes of characters, and familial traditions from their Caribbean history heretofore unknown. Deeply involving and beautifully written, hard to believe this is a debut.

This debut novel, like black cake itself, is a lavish blend of layers, flavors, slices, and histories.

It's a multigenerational story that begins when estranged siblings, Benny and Byron, are thrown together in an attorney's office after their mother's death where they must listen to a recording she left them which reveals secret, unknown truths about her past. Told in a dual timeline, and from multiple perspectives, it reads like a turbulent character-driven family saga that is punctuated with themes of discovery, identity, love, loss, racism, and the trauma of misunderstanding.

The balance between family mystery and family betrayal is one of the elements that kept me turning the pages. All of the characters have their own hardships, their own sufferings to wade through, and I appreciated the message that their present and future identities were bound to be shaped by the past, especially once they learned where to take a bite out of their own history. It was an absorbing, evocative tale and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

3.5 stars

I seem to be one of the few who is on the other end of this book and not loving it. I just found it difficult to be engaged sometimes as it felt slow which was surprising since there were many characters to focus on and the timeline switch.

This story is about identity, family and friends. All connections through multigenerational stories and what one can grow and learn from. It’s a heavy book of emotions mixed with love and hope and faith.

I think the structure of the book lost me on being able to connect. The intention was set up well to have these big reveals on characters but it fell short in the end for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the e-galley of this book. I really enjoyed this beautiful, multilayered story of family. Wilkerson has a gift for writing, especially in describing the beauty of the Caribbean. This is an outstanding debut.

A wonderful new novel to enjoy. Interesting story of families and what brings them together (Black Cake), I loved all the characters but at times, the story line seemed a little slow. The description and history of the Caribbean was particularly good. Will recommend to my friends and my book clubs.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC of Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed the story. The characters were resilient, strong, smart and interesting. I also learned a lot of history. At times I felt characters were introduced in a confusing way, but overall, I would recommend the book.

Beautiful, heartwarming yet tragic story. Enjoyed very much. Would definitely recommend. Gave 4 ⭐️ vs 5 because at times it seemed to ramble when it could have been shorter and I actually got tired of the constant talk of Black Cake…also there came a point where you have trouble believing one person could have so many life altering movements and identity changes. Still a very good book overall.

Beautiful, heartwarming yet tragic story. Enjoyed very much. Would definitely recommend. Gave 4 ⭐️ vs 5 because at times it seemed to ramble when it could have been shorter and I actually got tired of the constant talk of Black Cake…also there came a point where you have trouble believing one person could have so many life altering movements and identity changes. Still a very good book overall.

Beautiful, heartwarming yet tragic story. Enjoyed very much. Would definitely recommend. Gave 4 ⭐️ vs 5 because at times it seemed to ramble when it could have been shorter and I actually got tired of the constant talk of Black Cake…also there came a point where you have trouble believing one person could have so many life altering movements and identity changes. Still a very good book overall.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson is a beautifully written multi-generational story of family and friends; how they lives diverge and intersect and how they love and hurt one another. This debut novel has interesting characters and settings including the Caribbean Islands, the United Kingdom and the United States with a complex story line that unfolds slowly over the novel.

Written in dual timelines as well as from multiple points of view, we learn about the life of Eleanor Bennett after she passes away and leaves a voice recording of her life story for her two estranged children, Byron and Benny, to listen to together. As it turns out, they really knew nothing about their parent's lives before they were born and their parent’s challenges growing up in the Caribbean Islands. Eleanor reveals surprising family secrets (don’t want to spoil it) and a traditional Caribbean black cake in the freezer with instructions to "share the black cake" at the right moment which they’ll know when it happens. Baking and sharing a black cake has been a family tradition for generations and continues to be so after Eleanor’s passing.

I enjoyed this book and want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing (Ballantine Books) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

BLACK CAKE is a rich, multi-layered story about family secrets that draws the reader in from page one and does not let go. Highly recommended.

While the premise seemed a tiny bit strained, or forced, to me at first, I'm glad I kept reading. The characters are the biggest strength of this book. They are drafted with realistic faults and I found myself cheering them on as they engage in complicated decision-making. This family's secrets kept me turning the pages. I was anxious to see what would happen next.

Wilkerson is definitely a writer to watch.

I loved this compelling, layered story! The character development and vivid writing had me pulled in from the first pages. I can't wait to read this author's next work.

Black Cake is about the untold stories that shape people’s lives. Charmaine spoke about multicultural traditions and the heritage of blending cultures thru food.
The story revolves around an audio file and letter left by Eleanor for her children upon her passing. As Byron and Benny listen to their mother recount her years as a young woman Charmaine plants bits and pieces of the past and present.
Byron is Eleanor’s son. He’s a black man who grew up in SoCal. Benny is Eleanor’s daughter. She’s a black woman who faces many challenges in life.

I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into when I requested to read Black Cake. I took a chance on a new author. This being her debut novel. The concept was intriguing. Afterall, it’s the concept that warranted a read from me. Although, I had higher hopes than I did going into Black Cake. My interest dwindled during part two and it never recovered going into parts three and four.
The message was received loud and clear. Yet I still felt empty after reading it. Sure these characters survived life’s obstacles. They felt trapped in a life where some didn’t understand. They continued to fight for individuality.

This story comes to readers off the Black Lives Matter movement. While my opinion differs from the authors I can still appreciate the message she is sending.
As individuals the way we represent ourselves as a mother, friend, or volunteer gives off a different perspective of who we are to each of them.
Parents making choices for a better future for there children. These were pertinent points addressed in the book. As I’ve mentioned before this read didn’t hit its mark with me. I struggled to stay connected thus relying on a quick skim read after part one.

Excellently written and captivating story of the life of Covey and all the traumas she survives. As a final goodbye to her adult children, she records the true story of her life-a life very different from the beliefs of her children. Full of sorrow, miraculous saves, and tender hearted love of family.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an engaging and moving read! There is so much to this book. There is family drama, secrets, the power of friendship but overall just a fantastic story. There are several characters in this book. In modern day we meet Benny and Byron. They are estranged siblings who have come together for their mother's funeral. Before their mother passed she made a recording for them to listen to about her life. Neither Benny or Byron have any idea how their life is going to change as they listen to her recording. The book alternates between present day and the past. It does so in a way that made me want to keep reading as the mystery of what happened and how it all tied in kept unfolding.

At the heart of this book is black cake. I had never heard of black cake before and I did not know the cultural significance. The cake tied everything together and I loved how the author weaved it into the story. This book was given to me to read and I am so happy to have read it. Honestly, I don't know if I would have picked this book up otherwise but it is an incredible book! Very moving and powerful! A must read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kathleen Quinlan at Random House Publishing for this advance copy. This was an incredible book!

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a first novel for Charmaine Wilkerson but I hope it will not be the last. I enjoyed reading this story. At the very beginning I became deeply involved with the characters and the story line or story lines I should say. The story takes place in the Caribbean Islands, In England and in California. It weaves a tale of misfortune, loves, loss and family lies that disrupt future generations. When Eleanor dies her lawyer summons her children to his office to hear a recording that she has made which will tell her children the true story of her life. They had no idea what was about to be unraveled for them. The mother they thought they knew has much to tell them. The two children, who were as very close as youngsters, have drifted apart and not seen each other for a number of years. The lies you tell yourself and those around you have a habit of surfacing and must be dealt with at some future time. One of the story lines in this book deals with the fears of young black men in today’s world. This resonates with all of us due to recent headlines. This really causes the reader to think carefully about what it is like to be in that situation, and other situations that are presented as the story unfolds.
The history of the black cake is both interesting and informative and is very important to the storyline.
There are many deep moments and things to ponder in this book and I hated to get to the end of the story as I felt I was saying goodbye to new friends. Thank you, Charmaine, for such a good telling of difficult issues.
I urge you to read this book and tell your friends about it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free ARC to read. This is my honest review

Black Cake is a rich, multilayered debut that captured me from the first page. The themes are nuanced and varied, encompassing Caribbean culture, gender expectations, racial and economic inequality qnd more. The author deftly weaves these themes into a compelling story about a family and its secrets.