5/5 stars for me!
The best word to describe this novel is BEAUTIFUL. Wilkerson's writing (the flow, the way she superbly weaves the story together, the choice of words) is simply beautiful.
The imagery and Carribean setting: beautiful.
The resilience and strength that the main character and others show, time and time again: beautiful.
The way Wilkerson explored grief, family, community, identity, and culture: beautiful.
The plot immediately captured my attention and I was hooked on this book from page one. Covey is an amazing main character and her story is incredible. The characters felt so real, largely in part because they're all flawed. Some were even hard to like at times, but I love flawed and real characters in books.
As someone who loves to cook and bake, I also really enjoyed how food, and how it ties families and cultures together, played such an integral part in the story.
The chapter "Fish Story," although just two short pages, was one of my favorite parts of the novel because it captured so perfectly the complexity of grieving and honoring loved ones with your family.
"Byron is chuckling. He feels strangely light, now that their mother's memorial service is behind them. After yesterday's full house, he and Benny are finally alone in the kitchen, and he feels that he can slip from sorrow to laughter and back without embarrassment."
"Byron and Benny are still chuckling now, wiping their eyes. Benny reaches out her hand, Byron gives her the dish, and she wipes it dry with a towel. She looks up at him with those eyes, same as his eyes, and he smiles at her, then puts an arm around her when she starts to cry."
This month is when my maternal grandfather passed away, and so reading Black Cake during this difficult month really felt like stumbling upon a piece of treasure.
The last two paragraphs on page 147, about Elly and her destiny, also moved me and secured a place on my list of, "Best Pieces of Writing I've Read."
I cried, I gasped while sitting on the edge of my seat, my heart broke and soared, and ultimately I finished reading this novel feeling grateful that Wilkerson wrote it and I got to experience it. Obviously, I HIGHLY recommend reading this book!
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