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. 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.Ĭan 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?Ĭharmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names, can shape relationships and history. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder.

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. This novel has a tremendous heart at its centre, and I felt its beat on every page.We can’t choose what we inherit. 'I was instantly taken in by this multi-generational tale of identity, family, and the lifelong push and pull of home. 'An extremely assured debut which pulls in threads and echoes from across the Caribbean diaspora to deliver a rich, complex and really satisfying novel' ALISON FINCH, BBC Radio 4 Or will it reunite them and fulfil Eleanor's final wish? Second, the story of a decades-old murder that shatters everything they thought they knew about their mother.īut as Benny and Byron unravel their family's troubled past, will the truth push them further apart?

First, a traditional Caribbean black cake, to remind them of their roots. When Eleanor's estranged children Benny and Byron reunite for her funeral, they receive an unexpected inheritance. A stunning book' PRIMA, 'BOOK OF THE MONTH'Įleanor Bennett won't let her secrets die with her. 'My heart broke and was put back together. 'A roiling soup of family secrets, big lies great loves' NEW YORK TIMES 'A story as meaningful as it is delicious' TAYLOR JENKINS REID

**A Grazia Instagram 'IT' book to watch out for**Įveryone wants to discover what they're made of. **Soon to be a major Hulu series by Oprah Winfrey, Aaron Kaplan and Marissa Jo Cerar* **Featured on Barack Obama's Summer Reading List**

Review of black cake