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Jul 28, 2019EljayJohnson rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Firstly, it's well-nigh unbelievable that this powerful and beautifully written story is a debut. Gyasi gives us a rich and emotional famiy saga that spans 300 years, 7 generations, and 2 continents. Effia and Esi, two half-sisters unaware of each other's existence, are separated in mid-18th century Ghana - Effia remains in her homeland and Esi is abducted by the British and sold into slavery. The book alternates chapters/stories between Effia's descendants in Ghana and Esi's in the U.S. Gyasi is an evocative writer and I could feel/see/smell/hear the scenes and settings she described. The earlier stories were especially strong; I felt that some of the later, shorter ones became more like vignettes and didn't have the deep characterizations and emotion of what came before. But this a quiibble. I highly recommend this wonderful book and am eager to see what Gyasi does next.