Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
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Web ID: 14352487Ratings & Reviews
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Impressive debut!
An impressive debut about two adult children learning about their mother's secret past. Creatively plotted and beautifully written.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Storytelling at its finest!
Brilliant! Black Cake by debut novelist Charmaine Wilkerson touched my heart in so many ways! I laughed! I cried! I found myself speaking out loud to the characters….. Wilkerson has written a family drama steeped with family issues as well as social issues in the life of Eleanor Bennett and her family. Eleanor passed away and left an eight-hour recording with her lawyer for her son Byron and Benny to listen to together. She also left a Black Cake in the freezer for them to share at the appropriate time. Byron and Benny have not seen each other for seven years. There was a family squabble about Benny’s lifestyle and she did not come back after her father’s funeral. Benny has been very successful and Bunny has struggled on the opposite coast. Eleanor takes us back to a Caribbean island where she was born. We learn about her beginnings on the island, the struggles she faced, and why she left. Lots of social issues are intertwined throughout. I have found a new “go-to” author! I did keep a chart of the characters and the time frame! I loved the audio which I used with an advanced e-copy. This is a definite recommendation for book clubs as there is so much to discuss. I know that I already want to read-listen to this story again.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Multigenerational Family Saga/Drama
This was one of my favorites this year. A bit mystery, family secrets, and heavily character driven. I really loved how different this one felt from anything else i've read this year. Eleanor Bennett has died and has left her two children a recording of her life story explaining the secrets she's held onto for decades. We then go back and forth in perspectives from the current siblings to the past of Covey in the Carribean. This was a wonderful multi-generational story touching on many things: self-discovery, family, cultural challenges, and loss.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Good rainy day read
Excellent debut novel. Written in the characters' voices and in dual time lines, it is surprisingly easy to follow. She touches on some racial and environmental issues without being preachy or overbearing. Characters are interesting and story keeps you reading. Read on a rainy afternoon easily. I was provided an advanced reader copy at my request but was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher & NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great novel!
This novel is fantastic! It is the story of a family and friendships of a family from the Caribbean. It explores friendships, love, corruption, Caribbean culture, and even swimming! You cannot read this novel without caring not only about the characters. You will also learn a bit about how to make a black cake!. This is one of my favorite novels of all time. I am hopeful that it will become a classic. Readers of this novel will not be disappointed. I look for to reading more novels in the future from this talented first time author.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Master telling of the human experience...
Wow. This. Book. What a master telling of the human experience and the devastating repercussions secrets can have on families. Charmaine Wilkerson, @charmspen1 , really had me glued to every page throughout this novel. Not only was the imagery rich, but the descriptions were vivid enough to activate all my senses. I'm only disappointed that it took me this long to read! Complex and illuminating, this novel will have you thinking about family and the choices you make with regard to all the relationships in your life. I won't even discuss the characters in depth for fear of giving too much away. Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for such a wonderful novel!
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A beautiful family story!
'Black Cake' by Charmaine Wilkerson is such a moving story! This gives a rich serving of historical fiction elements and sibling dynamics. Byron and Benny's relationships has gone through the ringer, yet they must listen to their late mother's recording, a final request. What they learn are many shocking revelations, which takes the reader back several decades and multiple countries. This is a beautiful story that reflect women's strength among emotional obstacles. It's also a lovely family story, mingling cultural family traditions stemming back to their mother's ancestral roots. If you love a story with dysfunctional family dynamics and rich cultural history, this is the book for you!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Definite Winner!
Black Cake is Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel. Ms. Wilkerson starts off winning right out of the gate. Benedetta ‘Benny’ Bennett and her brother Byron aren’t on the best of terms but must deal with their mother’s death together. Will they be destroyed or delighted by the history that confronts them? Black Cake is a definite win for this debut author. She reveals the story using alternating viewpoints along dual timelines, easily handling this writing technique with appropriate chapter headers. Though divergent, the plot lines are relevant and don’t distract or detract from the story. Intensity and anticipation are steadily built in both timelines, finally revealing decades old secrets. The pace isn’t ‘fast and furious’ but ‘slow and steady’, and we all know what wins the race. Wilkerson also employs in-depth characterization and intense character interplay to further enrich the story. She eventually brings the story and the characters full circle. The publisher doesn’t list Black Cake in the Historical Fiction category, but it’s historically accurate with some literary license taken, nonetheless. They also don’t list it as Multicultural Interest, but it truly is. This was a completely fascinating read. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to all readers of good fiction. My thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com