I absolutely loved this book.
A story about family, new lives, culture, relationships and cake, Black Cake is charming with wonderful storytelling from Charmaine Wilkerson.
5 stars.

I enjoyed this debut novel, as one family‘s secret history is revealed through a recording left by the matriarch when she dies.

Loved all of the characters; I thought they were really well drawn, and the places, including London, the Caribbean and California, were almost characters in themselves. And of course, the cake; I really want some black cake now!

Just one niggle - I could have done without the environmental sub-plot. Rather clumsy and definitely superfluous, I skipped a lot of it.

In November I attended a showcase of books being published by Michael Joseph early this year. During that showcase I was intrigued by how good Black Cake sounded. We are only one month into the year, but I can say with absolute certainty that Black Cake is going to be one of my favourite reads in 2022.

Black Cake is an epic inter-generational story about family, identity and finding that common thread that connects different generations of family. The book covers a wide range of issues including racism, sexuality, forced marriage, cultural identity and diaspora, as well as environmental issues.

I found the writing held a poetic quality almost reminiscent of the ebb and flow of waves against a Caribbean beach, and it captured my heart and sucked me into the story from the first page. We follow various stories, initially without fully understanding the connection between them.

The characters have so much depth to them, and are so multi-dimensional that I felt like I knew them, from Covey and her best friend Bunny in their coastal village on a Caribbean island, to siblings Byron and Benny in California, grieving the loss of their mother Eleanor, as we get to know her through a recording she left for her children.

The black cake in the title was an allegory for the delicate balance in life, that cannot be rushed but needs to be handled with sensitivity and care.

Estranged siblings reunite following the death of their mother. She has left them a detailed audio recording, taking them on a journey of secrets and explanations. A bit slow to start but once you engage with the story it is very enjoyable.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
Pub Date TODAY 3rd Feb 2022
Eleanor Bennett won't let her own death get in the way of the truth. So when her estranged children - Byron and Benny - reunite for her funeral in California, they discover a puzzling inheritance.
First, a voice recording in which everything Byron and Benny ever knew about their family is upended. Their mother narrates a tumultuous story about a headstrong young woman who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder, a story which cuts right to the heart of the rift that's separated, Byron and Benny.
Second, a traditional Caribbean black cake made from a family recipe with a long history that Eleanor hopes will heal the wounds of the past.
Can Byron and Benny fulfil their mother's final request to 'share the black cake when the time is right? Will Eleanor's revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?
I found this being the author's debut novel extremely hard to comprehend. It is a powerful, stunning story based around the generation of one family, the Bennett family.
Identity, family, friendships and a sense of belonging are at the forefront of this story.
At the core of the story is the black cake.
I can fully understand why this is to become a TV series. It is well worth a read and I am happy to recommend it.
I want to thank NetGalley, Penguin Michael Joseph UK and author Charmaine Wilkerson for a pre-publication copy to review.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The title of this book is what grabbed my attention, but I had no real idea what it was about or what to expect from it. The writing was fantastic, to be savoured , not rushed. Highlights for me were the Black surfing Rastas and then Caribbean migration journey to America via the UK. Many themes that have been explored extensively before are also covered in this book, but the author manages to present them in a fresh way or from a slightly different perspective than the norm. I really liked that.

A really strong debut that will stay with you. I look forward to reading more from Charmaine Wilkerson in the future.

Set across the US, the UK, and the Caribbean, Black Cake introduces us to Byron and Benny, two siblings who reunite after their mother's death and uncover a wave of family secrets and history.

Firstly, can we all just take a moment to appreciate this cover?! I would love to have this on my bookshelves.

When I read the synopsis of this book, I knew it would be right up my street. I love intergenerational stories that link between time and place. The start of the tale opens up on a Caribbean island in the 60s (most likely Jamaica, although it is never stated), and the author brought this place to life so well. I could hear the people, smell the sea air, and taste the flavors and culture that the book presented to the reader.

However, I found this book quite slow if I'm being honest. I don't think it should have been as long as it was and some sections just didn't add anything to the plot.

I really really loved the recordings from their mother, which were strategically placed between every few chapters. If they weren't included, or were included in one single chapter, I think it would have been very hard to remember what the plot was all about.

Another thing that had me so curious when reading, was the thought of 'What does black Cake taste like?!'. I think it would have been a lovely touch if the author had included a recipe at the end of the book.

I think this is great debut novel from Wilkerson, and her thoughts on the windrush generation, racism, having babies out of wedlock, among many others are something that I would love to read more on in her future books.

A compelling tale about the power of how our history shapes us and how the withholding of our history has its own long reaching consequences throughout the generations. This is such an amazing debut novel, I was instantly drawn in by the myriad of characters and felt the loss of Benny and Byrons mother along with them. It was a novel that really played with my emotions of materal love, grief, homesickness and identity throughout as the characters were so vivid and well written.

When estranged siblings attend their mothers funeral they are told that their mother Eleanor has left them her final 'Black cake' in the freezer and all she asks is that they share it together when the time is right. No small feat as Benny and Byron have had no contact with each other for years. The notion of knowing that your mother knew she was going to die and made such a symbolic cake for you to enjoy after her death was so gut wrenching. Eleanor and her children are not a family that share their emotions or confide in each other and struggle to allow themselves to feel. When they start to hear the oral history of her life that their mother left to them they start to realise that they never really knew their parents at all. A multi generational novel that takes the reader to the Carribean, London and California in the unravelling of a shared history and trauma.

I can't do this book justice in a review I could not put it down. I look forwad to reading what Charmaine Wilkerson writes next.

This isn’t my usual go to read but I was really intrigued when I read the blurb for Black Cake that I had to read it, plus I’m going to Jamaica in a few weeks so it helped get me into the mood!

Benny and Byron were really close as children, but some of Benny’s life choices have led her away from her family and her brother. However, when their mother dies it brings them back to their childhood home where her solicitor has a recording for them to listen to in which their mother divulges secrets they never even knew she had.

I really don’t want to say too much because this book has been written so well to leave the reader curious, intrigued and guessing. Little snippets of information are given to allow for conclusions to be reached then confirmed but it is really a journey.

If I’m honest, when I started the book it was super slow. If I hadn’t seen other reviews about it being good I possible wouldn’t have finished it. However, it definitely picked up pace and intrigue as it developed. And I’ve finished the story feeling accomplished and that my invested time was worthwhile. I also can’t wait to dip my toe into the ocean around Jamaica!

This isn’t an actioned packed drama or a swooning romance but a cleverly written historical fiction intertwining past and present. It also brings to the forefront issues of race, gender and sexuality in a way which makes the reader empathise and consider without being in your face. I would probably recommend this book to a select group of people but I don’t think it will be for everybody.

This is a good story but I found the way it's set out in small paragraphs rather than chapters meant it didn't flow. I found it too fragmented and a bit jumpy. Towards the end, bearing in mind the great age of some of the characters, I found some of it a wee bit unlikely, obviously not impossible, but unlikely.

I was interested to read this from the description and it did not disappoint. The story follows the life of Eleanor Bennet. It is told in a dual timeline, then and now. The story covers several generations and is centred around the famous “black cake”. I loved how descriptive it was and it almost assaulted my senses, I could smell the ocean and almost taste the black cake. This is a wonderful family saga that spans many decades and introduces the most wonderful characters and should be read by many

This book is so beautiful.

Eleanor Bennett has just died and her two children have arrived at the family home for her funeral. Bryon and Benny. Benny has been estranged from her family for a number of reasons for many reasons. Even missing her fathers funeral several years before.
Their mother has left voice recordings for her children where is tells them a secret she has kept hidden a lifetime. Her purpose... to reunite her family even after death. Eleanor goes back to her very early years living on a Caribbean island. Murder, marriages, love, loss and friendship. And the one thing that binds it all Black Cake
Her mother has left them a black cake made from a family recipe to be eaten at the right time. Only Benny and Bryon can decide on that time.
This is a really feel good book. One which many will remember even after the last page has been turned.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

I enjoyed reading this book.
This is the story of Eleonor Bennett and her family. A story which she had recorded for her children in order for them to come together after her death and to learn about her true identity and her life. She takes them back to her childhood in the 60s, growing up on a Caribbean Island (Jamaica, probably), as the daughter of a Chinese immigrant and his black wife. Dramatic circumstances forced her to flee to England, where she slipped into another’s identity, married the dad of her children and together they made it to the States, carefully erasing all traces of their previous lives, which she now reveals for the benefit of her children. Eleonore’s life was rich, colourful and fulfilled but tinged with the sorrow and sadness she felt about hiding her true identity and family history.

All of this comes as a shock to her children, nothing is as they believed it to be. This process churns up feelings of deception, loss, sadness, extreme anger but also great happiness - and it is cathartic and we see them grow stronger as individuals and grow together as siblings.

And there is the cake – Black Cake, which runs like a sweet, rum-soaked sumptuous river through the story. It is a symbol of belonging, heritage and community spirit. It is a Black Cake that Eleonore left in her freezer for her children to eat ‘when the time is right’. They do and it does its healing magic.

This book touches upon many (too many?) issues: Black Lives Matter, the single mothers’ baby scandal, environment and sea pollution, the Windrush generation, adoption, inter-ethnic tensions, gay- and inter-racial relationships and sexual harassment and more. This is an ambitious undertaking in itself but at the end of the story, I really wondered whether Charmaine Wilkinson’s desire to tie up all the loose ends – and there were quite a few – really added value. I could have easily lived with a few things to ponder.

All in all, a good read – I just wished she had included a recipe for that famous Black Cake. I am intrigued now and I will find out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
I give this book 4.5 stars

Eleanor Bennett won't let her own death get in the way of the truth. So when her estranged children - Byron and Benny - reunite for her funeral in California, they discover a puzzling inheritance.
First, a voice recording from their Mother..
Second, a traditional Caribbean black cake made from a family recipe.
Can Byron and Benny fulfil their mother's final request to 'share the black cake when the time is right'?

What an incredible debut this is!
A complex family drama,with an intriguing story,the rich narrative is told through several perspectives which l particularly loved,.We are taken from the Caribbean to England and to America,as we peel back the layers of time,events,secrets and memories with the Black Cake and it’s importance woven throughout. This compelling read stirred up a great deal of emotion and l thought the author tied it all up beautifully by the end. I’d recommend this book to everybody
With thanks to Netgalley,Charmaine Wilkerson and Penguin Michael Joseph UK,for my chance to read and review this book

Wow - what a stunning debut novel! This an author to watch. I know it is early in the year, but I have a feeling this could be my book of the year for 2022. For me this is on a par with White Teeth and Brick Lane. A stunningly written story of a family with their roots in an unnamed Caribbean island and the strength in the bonds of friendship. Difficult subjects such as racism in the sixties and rape are broached and sensitively written about. What could potentially have been a confusing story thread is made clear and intricately woven together. I loved reading about the Caribbean culture and following the story of Covey and the challenges she faced on her home island, England in the 60’s and the USA. The only thing missing for me was a recipe at the end for Black cake!! I need to try some!!This book is a must read and is going to be a big hit this year. Just get your copy and you will see what I mean. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this ARC. I cannot wait to see what this author writes next.

Sent from my iPad

Byron and Benny are estranged brother and sister, who are brought back together again as a result of their mother’s death. Benny is angry at her brother and mother for never supporting her, never being their for her during all the setbacks to her dreams, relationship issues and racial harassment. Byron is seemingly doing well as a poster boy for oceanography, but is still restricted in his career by discrimination.

From a recording before her death, they learn of their mothers secret past - her reasons for coming to 60s Britain from the Caribbean, the narrow expectations on offer there, the tragedy that led to her change of identity and her move to America.
The narrative revealing their mother’s past and the children’s reactions kept the reader interested and emotionally involved.

It was interesting and new to read about the immigration of Chinese to the Caribbean and how this added to the cultural mix of the islands.
Whatever our backgrounds, we cannot escape the past. Like the amalgam of food traditions that interested Marble and the layers of geological past compressed and folded that Coventina wanted to study, the present is a mish mash of the past and we must acknowledge that.

Children rarely get to know or are interested in their parents lives prior to them being in the picture. The story encourages me to try and talk to my mother about her early life before it is lost.

4.5*. Black Cake. Wow. What a debut and one that deservedly comes with a great deal of buzz.

The death of their mother brings estranged siblings Byron and Benny together in their childhood Californian home. They have been left a voice recording which unravels the extraordinary life of their parents and their friends. Rolling back to the Caribbean and an unsolved murder before moving onto London as part of the Windrush generation and thereafter landing in New York and ultimately California. The tumultuous story upends everything that Byron and Benny understood about their parents.

Black cake is beautifully told with a stellar cast of characters. There are various threads which are skilfully woven to make an incredible whole. It’s taut, heart breaking and tender in equal measure. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.

Thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the ARC. Due out 3 Feb 22, this is well worth a pre-order.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Black Cake is a remarkable debut book that had me hooked from the off.
Byron and Benny come together for a reading of their mothers will and an 8 hour recording that she left for them. This recording tells the remarkable story of her life and the many secrets she held.
This book has a lot going on; different timelines, told from various characters point of views and many subplots. It will make a great TV series but as a book it is overly ambitious to the detriment of any emotional connection to its characters and the overall story.
An interesting, clever but ultimately frustrating novel.

What an absolutely amazing debut. A present time story switching to the past to explain the life which their mother lead. A powerful and heartfelt telling of one woman’s determination to live her life free of what was planned for her. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Black Cake is a stunning debut novel by Charmaine Wilkerson. It starts in 1965 with a father stood at the water’s edge on a Caribbean island desperately seeking his daughter who has disappeared. We then move to the main characters of Byron and Benny, a brother and sister in present day Los Angeles whose parents were born in the Caribbean just after the second world war. Their mother had died and has left an eight hour recording that she wishes them to listen to together. Byron and Benny had always been told by their parents, Eleanor and Bert, that there was no family back on ‘the island’. and both Eleanor and Bert had been left as orphans at a young age. There is a tradition of black cake on the island which is a recurring theme in the book. It's a fruit cake made with burned sugar and Eleanor was keen to pass the recipe down the generations having learned it from her own mother.

Over the course of the novel we learn of many secrets, struggles and dramas in the life of the main character. I loved this novel and didn’t want it to finish while simultaneously wanted to know how it all turned out. What a lovely book with a great plot. I will be eagerly awaiting more novels from Charmaine Wilkerson.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.