Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Hi, my name is Rya. I am a junior and I enjoy reading, swimming and traveling.
Effia and Esi, half-sisters, hardly know of each other’s existence. By chance, they both end up in the same place- the Gold Coast Castle. Except Effia is upstairs, in the bedroom of the slave-trade manager she is married to. Esi is downstairs, in the dungeons, about to be put on a ship, where the slavery of America awaits her.
Effia and Esi’s stories aren’t the only ones to tell, however. Homegoing follows the lineage of each sister through eight generations and 300 years, with a different chapter dedicated to each character. Each chapter is filled with love, tragedy, resistance, misery, and pride while contributing to the perpetuating theme of the horrifying impacts of colonization and slavery.
Homegoing is a candid and vibrant tribute to both black history and the beauty of storytelling. The way that Gyasi weaves all of the characters’ different stories and perspectives together in such a seamless way is admirable. The reader gets to empathize with each of the fourteen characters while gaining newfound perspectives on these 300 years of black history. The symbolism and connections in this book are also incredibly powerful. Needless to say, I think Homegoing is a masterpiece and I highly recommend it. It is written for an adults.
