Black Cake- Blog Tour

 

Author: Charmine Wilkerson 
Publisher: Penguin Books/ Micheal J Books 
Publishing Date: 3rd February 2022 

Many thanks to the publishing team for my proof copy and a spot on the blogtour. 

Blurb 

Everyone wants to discover what they're made of...

Juggling lives and crossing continents, Black Cake is the extraordinary story of how the inheritance of secrets, betrayal and memories can shape a family for generations.

We can't go to the island, Bryon. We don't really know what we're getting into ...
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?

My Thoughts

Themes of loss, love, humanity and culture drenched in every page, it was simply wonderful to read. 

Byron and Benny's are estranged siblings until the death of the mother that forces them to come together. The siblings are polar opposites, Byron has a successful career and Benny is stopped attending college and still hasn't got a clue what she wants to do, although is pitching the idea of a business adventure. The siblings were very close at one stage upon a disagreement  and harsh over Benny's choices about her life during a dinner causing a fragmented relationship between the siblings and the family. Since then Benny didn't get to say goodbye to father who passed away and the emotional impact was greater to comprehend for Byron but he stuck by his mother. 

Upon listening to their mothers recorded voice she also leaves a final request that a special Caribbean cake called Black Cake needs to come out of the freezer at the right time. It holds such a great metaphor to the thawing of the right time. 

The story takes you on a jam packed journey over several timelines and each time we learn lots of new information. We learn that Byron and Benny have had a privileged lifesyle with so many advantages and opportunities however they come across as extremely immature and selfish. 

The audio takes you on a journey that is shocks the siblings, not only told truths but the lies that were told and the sacrifices their parents made. 

The way this book is written is just so intense and poetic at the same time.