Book Review: HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is a beautiful yet difficult story that follows the lineage of two African sisters through a couple of centuries. Each chapter is the story of a child in the next generation, switching back and forth between the two lines, one leading through the Gold Coast of Africa, the other through black history in America.

Because of the amount of history covered here, Gyasi only gives us glimpses into the lives of each character, sometimes leaving us wanting more. Yet the impact is deep, rich, and wide. I was amazed at how Gyasi could create such rich characters within the small amount of space of each chapter. I don’t read many short stories, but I imagine this is the way a short story author has to create their characters if they want to leave a lasting impression.

What can I personally say about this story? I’m not sure. Race is such a hot button issue right now, especially the black / white relationship. And after reading this, it’s easy to see why. I think it’s easy for non-black Americans to say, “Good grief! Slavery was ages ago. Can’t we just move on?” But after reading Homegoing, it’s obvious that the impact goes so far beyond the initial event. The issue is so much greater and deeper and more complex. It makes one wonder if there’s any possible way to reconcile completely, wholly, lastingly. What would it take?

I appreciated how Gyasi showed the impact through the generations of these two lines. This helped tie all of the issues together. It’s easy to look at a cross-section of history and try to explain it this way or that way, but when you see how it all comes down through each generation, how each family, each life can be affected by the choices or lack of choice of the generations before, the issues are more readily seen. It was also fascinating and just as sad to see the way history moved through this particular area of Africa. It left the distinct impression that humans, all of them, are deeply flawed.

I think it is essential to read historical stories such as these if only to give us a small glimpse into the experiences of others. There’s no way to ever truly comprehend the depth of hurt and scars that still exist. The things we do to fellow humans are incomprehensible and often irreparable. We can try to cross the divide and bridge gaps, but I don’t think we can every truly understand. However, that doesn’t mean we should just stick our heads in the sand and give up. It’s important to learn, to read, to hear, to see as much as possible about others’ experiences. Only then can we open our minds just a little and be able to truly love our neighbors.

Buy Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi: Amazon | Book Depository

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