Charmaine Wilkerson is an author from New York, who has also lived in Jamaica and Italy. Both of Wilkerson’s parents are Caribbean-American. This Caribbean heritage is strongly seen on the settings of the book, where the Black Cake (a pastry from Caribbean baking tradition) stands as a starting point for the events.
In her debut novel (2022), Wilkerson writes about two estranged siblings who must set aside their differences in order to deal with their mother’s death and and along the way, come to learn more of her hidden past.
We follow the stories of Covey and Bunny, of two friends, who carry us between different scenarios between Caribbean, London and California, and some minor pit stops in Italy, as well. We learn about their family history, relationships and the story explores e.g. how one’s choices can be passed on through generations. We learn little about people from Commonwealth countries, about the turbulent political relationships where subordination has been practised, etc.
However, the reading experience of the book is not necessarily “a piece of cake” … in the sense that the plot was felt a bit shattered, too complex, and chapters too short in their length. One needs to re-focus every single time the new chapter begins, as to get a grasp of the events. The reading as an experience felt more like watching a film with different scenes, but where there are slight difficulties in keeping up with the plot twists. Despite, many of the scenes have fresh and surprising elements in them which makes reading easy.
Review of our group: 3,2/5 stars!
-Marika
Photo: Goodreads.com
Porvoon kirjaston lukupiiri - Borgå stadsbiblioteks bokcirkel - The Book Club of Porvoo City Library 