Unlike the many slavery themed books I had read in the past, Homegoing explores the origins of slave trade on the African continent in substantial depth. Based on what we know of the slave trade off the Ghanaian coast, Yaa Gyasi’s characters span from somewhere in the 17th Century to current day and centres around the experiences and the subsequent descendants of 2 Ghanaian sisters – one who was sold into slavery and the other who was married off to a British slave trader.
You know you’re about to read a sweeping saga filled with many critical and complex characters when the front of the book includes a family tree.
Most African and Black History remains untold, one-sided and/or incomplete and that’s why I appreciate authors like Yaa Gyasi, who take on the daunting task of bringing “our” stories (with their colourful, painful histories) to life through fresh, informative narratives. On one swing of the pendulum you will find my deep appreciation for the fantastical and magical, which is anchored within the realm of wild possibility. On the opposite swing of the pendulum, my reading subject matter choice is anchored in stark, bleak reality relating to African identity and history, especially addressing colonisation and slavery. My personal reading choices when it comes to non-fiction veer off in two rather opposing spectrums.
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