This is such a beautifully written book that is so full of layers that i think i could read it a hundred times and still get something new from this book. I think that the dual timeline aspect worked really well and i loved the characters, one of the best books that I have read this year

This multigenerational and dual-timeline story is so beautifully written – I’m struggling to believe it’s Charmaine’s debut. The cake is the glue that holds all the layers together and the scenes are so well drawn that I could almost taste the cake, feel the warm sea on my skin. My heart broke and was put back together. Bravo.

Spanning generations and crossing different continents this is a very powerful and moving story. There is quite a cast of characters but each section is clearly named so you know who is who. This moves from the present day back in time and starts with the reading of the will of Eleanor Bennett. Unable to tell her children the truth but needing them to know before she dies Eleanor records her message to be heard with her solicitor and her children after her death.

Its quite a complex story with many, many layers but it flows really well. I think the short sections within the chapters of the book really help. I enjoyed Covey and Bunny and I didnt guess until the reveal who she was. I enjoyed hearing about her life and what happened to her. I think it was well written and I found it impossible to put down once I had started reading. I liked the ending it really tied up all the lose ends. There are lots of sensitive issues racisim and rape amongst the many but all handled and written with care and sensitivity. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommended it.

Crossing continents and juggling lives, Black Cake is a powerful story of love and loss, kinship and separation, heartache and hope, spanning sixty years in the life of one family. I loved the emotions this book puts the reader through. Stunning absolutely stunning!