Homegoing

by Yaa Gyasi | Audiobooks |
ISBN: 9780735209817 Global Overview for this book
Registered by indygo88 of Lafayette, Indiana USA on 7/3/2010
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4 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by indygo88 from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Saturday, July 3, 2010
(Recycled BCID, re-registered on 8/7/18)
"Two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and lives in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, her sister, Esi, is imprisoned beneath her in the castle's dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast's booming slave trade, and shipped off to America, where her children and grandchildren will be raised in slavery. One thread of Homegoing follows Effia's descendants through centuries of warfare in Ghana, as the Fante and Asante nations wrestle with the slave trade and British colonization. The other thread follows Esi and her children into America. From the plantations of the South to the Civil War and the Great Migration, from the coal mines of Pratt City, Alabama, to the jazz clubs and dope houses of twentieth-century Harlem, right up through the present day, Homegoing makes history visceral, and captures, with singular and stunning immediacy, how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation. "

Acquired via PaperBackSwap. (Unabridged on 11 CDs; read by Dominic Hoffman)

Journal Entry 2 by indygo88 at Lafayette, Indiana USA on Friday, December 21, 2018
A uniquely written story about two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, who grow up in separate villages in 18th century Ghana, never knowing each other. Effia marries a white British man and lives fairly comfortably in the Cape Coast Castle, while Esi is taken prisoner during tribal warfare and held captive underneath the castle, eventually sold into the slave trade. Homegoing is told in a series of alternating vignettes, with each short story tracing a portion of the life of one of the descendants of the previous generation. While Effia's descendants remain in Ghana, Esi is sold into slavery and shipped off to America, where her descendants grow up in slavery. Beginning in 1700's Ghana, this "saga" continues up to present day.

I found that the hype surrounding this debut novel is justified. But be prepared: there are lots of characters, some with confusing names, and you almost need to take notes if you want to maintain a true understanding and feeling for this story. I read this on audio and didn't realize until over halfway through that there was a family tree PDF available for viewing. I regret that I hadn't printed it out earlier to make following the family lines a little easier. The printed version of the book has the family tree at the beginning, so that's helpful.

Aside from the challenge of keeping everyone's story straight, this really is an excellent tale. The writing is wonderful -- Gyasi tells just enough of each character's story to really engage the reader, but also leaves a lot out for the reader to interpret him/herself. Each story is truly unique, but they blend together so beautifully. Though this book is somewhat autobiographical, it is obvious that the author did large amounts of research to capture each generation's struggles. Overall, an excellent debut and one I would highly recommend.

Journal Entry 3 by indygo88 at Lafayette, Indiana USA on Saturday, August 7, 2021
This one's going into an audio bookbox. Enjoy!

Journal Entry 4 by rebekkila at Charleston, South Carolina USA on Sunday, September 19, 2021
Caught in the audio bookbox.

Journal Entry 5 by rebekkila at Fairfax Station, Virginia USA on Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Released 9 mos ago (6/9/2023 UTC) at Fairfax Station, Virginia USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

released to audio bookbox.

Journal Entry 6 by rhythmbiscuit at Northglenn, Colorado USA on Wednesday, August 2, 2023
This book came back to me in the recent round of HI77’s Audio Bookbox. Thank you for playing!

Journal Entry 7 by rhythmbiscuit at Northglenn, Colorado USA on Saturday, November 11, 2023

Released 4 mos ago (11/12/2023 UTC) at Northglenn, Colorado USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Included in Audio Bookbox #4. Enjoy!

Journal Entry 8 by wingAzukiwing at Miami, Florida USA on Friday, February 16, 2024
Thank you for sharing this book. This would be perfect for my 666 challenge!

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