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It’s time to start reading the new book of the month! If you haven’t already, you should join the Bestie Book Club. Every month, we hop online and discuss a new book, and the conversations it sparks.
It’s not a rigid ‘quote the text’ type of book club. More of a, ‘her break up made me think of my first break-up and how lost I felt in that moment’ type of club. It’s a safe space to talk, hear other’s perspectives, and make new friends.
There are several besties I feel like I know in real life, because we’ve shared so much about ourselves in these meetings. This September, we will have a Bestie Book Club in Bali to finally meet in person and celebrate one year of monthly meet ups. You can learn more about the trip and apply to join us here.
Now, without further delay, the book of the month is Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. Oprah has already signed on to produce a Hulu series about this book, so it feels like we’re ahead of the curve.
We will host the next virtual Bestie Book Club meeting Friday, April 22 at 8:00 PM EST to discuss Black Cake. Login details to join the discussion will be emailed a day before the meeting. Make sure you’ve joined the book club to receive notifications.
You can order the book here, using my referral link.
Brief Summary:
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean 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.
