Black Cake Audiobook By Charmaine Wilkerson cover art

Black Cake

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Black Cake

By: Charmaine Wilkerson
Narrated by: Lynnette Freeman, Simone McIntyre
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Brought to you by Penguin.

Crossing continents and juggling lives, Black Cake is a powerful story of love and loss, kinship and separation, heartache and hope, spanning 60 years in the life of one family.

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 that 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?

©2022 Charmaine Wilkerson (P)2022 Penguin Audio African American Family Life Genre Fiction Grief & Loss Historical Fiction Personal Development Relationships World Literature

Critic reviews

"I was instantly taken in by this multi-generational tale of identity, family, and the lifelong push and pull of home. This novel has a tremendous heart at its centre, and I felt its beat on every page. What an extraordinary debut." (Mary Beth Keane, author of Ask Again, Yes)
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I couldn’t put this book down, there was so much depth to the characters, a rich history and tapestry of their lives. I enjoyed how each character grew and was shaped by the unfolding of the ancestors right to future generations.

Amazing storyline

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Beautifully written and narrated. I loved learning about the cultures and felt the warmth, colors, smells and tastes of the Caribbean. Whenever a book moves me to tears, It deserves five stars. The women characters in this book kick ass. I am definitely cooking a black cake soon.

Beautiful book

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I like that the story leaves no stone unturned. It’s a bit long but enjoyable book. Definitely has a hook. I had one main issue with the story. It was being told more than it was happening, this was strange for me. I didn’t enjoy that dynamic about the way it was written. I wanted to experience the characters more personally and the story telling got in the middle of that for me.

Good book

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As a young woman living in the Caribbean, I devoured this book. This story is full of twists and turns. Each character has complexity and depth which makes me empathize and relate to them even when they make their mistakes. I think there's a little Covey in all of us proving that you can thrive when you reinvent yourself but to never forget the past as it influences your future.

A story as rich and flavorful as black cake

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Not what I expected, I could not stop listening. Enjoyed it as I was able as a West Indian to associate with a lot of the content.

Held my attention

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