NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS
FEATURED ON TODAY - Two estranged siblings delve into their mother's
hidden past--and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black
cake--in this immersive family saga, "a character-driven,
multigenerational story that's meant to be savored" (Time).
"Wilkerson transports you across the decades and around the globe
accompanied by complex, wonderfully drawn characters."--Taylor Jenkins
Reid, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of
Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Malibu Rising
In development as a Hulu original series produced by Marissa Jo Cerar,
Oprah Winfrey (Harpo Films), and Kapital Entertainment
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, NPR, BuzzFeed,
Glamour, PopSugar, Book Riot, She Reads
We can't choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett's death leaves behind a
puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black
cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice
recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a
headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of
murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still
holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything
the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.
Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece
together Eleanor's true history, and fulfill her final request to "share
the black cake when the time is right"? Will their mother's revelations
bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?
Charmaine Wilkerson's debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of
betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and
history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an
extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by
the choices of its matriarch.