I'm glad this was the first book of the year. Strong, powerful, well-written, a pretty cover (don't judge me, I'm shallow)... This was what I needed
Yaa Gyasi wrote one of my favorite books that I read in 2019, so I was not surprised at the power of this novel. This one, though, is much different. Homegoing traced the lines of generations from Africa to slavery to the U.S. in present day. Transcendent Kingdom is now, though those immigrant roots are still felt.
Gifty is a promising young scientist, doing research about the brain and how and why it responds to want. Her mice pull a lever and either get a treat or a shock. Some stop pulling the lever; others will always risk the shock in pursuit of that reward.
Through flashbacks, we learn why. We learn of Gifty's Alabama upbringing with her mom and brother - and, vague memories of a father who went back to Ghana and checked out. We learn about her brother's addiction, his death by overdose. We watch Gifty and her mom respond in different ways - Gifty, determined to be everything exceptional, while her mother retreats inside herself. We learn why what's happening in the brains of those mice is so crucial to Gifty's life. And where does God fit in when you spend your childhood believing He is all-powerful, only to watch your loved one die.
This book explores family, faith, culture, mental illness, addiction and the pressure we put on ourselves to hide the ugly parts from the world. Gyasi's writing is powerful without being overdone. Even the heart-wrenching parts were done without a heavy hand.
It's easy to see why this was on nearly every "must-read list" of 2020.
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