I know, I know...judging a book by its cover is generally frowned upon, but come on. The cover of today's book, Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, is too gorgeous and captivating for me not to bring it up. Thankfully, the story found inside is even more engaging and interesting, as two siblings learn of their mother's startling past.
The Situation: Byron and Benny have not spoken in years. The two siblings used to be extremely close, despite the nine year age-difference between them. When she was little, Benny would follow her older brother around constantly. But somewhere along the way, she separated herself not only from her brother, but from her entire family, as she moved from place to place, job to job, and relationship to relationship. Byron does not know if he can even speak to his sister, as he is still holding grudges from years ago. But their mother's lawyer has a recording they need to listen to, one that their mother insisted they listen to together. Despite their grief, and their differences, the siblings meet at their mother's house in California, though they are not quite ready for what they are about to hear.
The Problem: When Eleanor Bennett's voice starts speaking from the recording, telling Byron and Benny the story of her life, she immediately begins with some startling news, something that will make the brother and sister question everything they knew about their mother, and she is just getting started. Over the course of the recording, Byron and Benny will hear about their mother's difficult past, the places she traveled, and the choices she had to make. Included are instructions to her children regarding the last black cake their mother every made, a cake she wants them to share when the time is right. But this cake, and this story, may not be enough to bring her children back together.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of fiction that spans over five decades, while crossing oceans and continents. In 2018, Byron and Benny are hearing their mother's story, which begins in the Caribbean in the 1960s. The story Eleanor tells involves, swimming, surfing, food, friends that act more like family, family that act like villains, love, assumptions, discrimination, and the difficult choices we all have to make to simply move forward. The chapters are short, and often switch between characters, as well as time and place. Eleanor, Byron, and Benny remain as the focus, but even a seemingly minor character will get a chance to talk about things as they see it.
My Verdict: Books that attempt to move back and forth through time can be tricky. If done badly, it can ruin the story. If done well, it is an accomplishment worth applauding, but it does not necessarily mean the story will be good. With this book, the switches between the two timelines were not only well-timed, but both stories were compelling in their own right, which is rarely the case with stories that are structured like this. And I was eager to hear from each character, even the most minor ones, as well as the most annoying ones. It is a book that gave me that rare feeling I sometimes get of not wanting it end, even though I also desperately want to know how it all resolves. I simply love being with the characters where they are. It is hard to explain, but it is a feeling I relish and always hope to find again.
Favorite Moment: There is a moment when Benny comes to the realization that not everything is about her. What is happening is not plainly spelled out, which happens a lot throughout this book. Many significant moments are not obvious or plainly states, but they are there and they are meaningful.
Favorite Character: Mr. Mitch is Eleanor's lawyer, and the man that is tasked with handling her estate after she is gone. He is patient, understanding, observant, dutiful, and knows what he has to do, no matter how difficult, and awkward.
Recommended Reading: I recommend This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith.
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