01/07/2022
Re- Posted • 💎
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi 🦋
This book gave me a lot to think about and even though I finished it 2 months ago it’s still so fresh in my mind that I had to review it.
It follows two sisters and their lineage over a span of 7 generations from Ghana to wherever their travels took them.
Over the years I’ve seen this book talked about (it’s why I picked it up) but I can’t quite believe how much depth I feel is left out when people talk about this.
It’s truly a love letter to the ancestors, to our future offspring, to us in this modern day world. It’s the xo at the end of a message, it’s the “I love you and recognise you” that black people do with that nod (iykyk lmao). And quite frankly, it’s BEAUTIFUL in a way that is raw and exposing.
Our experiences as black people differ and whilst my journey to this life isn’t the same (as a British West Indian)… I GOT it. I felt it. I understood it.
From slavery and colonialism to hope and faith. It had it all. The talks of how Christianity/religion became a common part of many black people’s lives. How unwillingness to concede to ideals meant your life could be cut short. Addiction. This book hurt but it was necessary and I’m so glad I read it. I feel like it walks with me in my everyday life.
I struggled with the multiple povs and the historical aspect so it took me a while to get into it but when I did? You couldn’t let me go.
I know this book goes against a lot of the modern day narratives that are spun about African people and what we was told our ancestors would’ve endured. If it makes you uncomfortable, unpack why. There’s a lot of critical thinking to be done.
This may be a work of fiction, and I know that if you think of it as such you’ll find it easier to consume, but this is truly a powerful read that is covered in truths and facts that we must acknowledge.
Read the book but check TW first.
(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
