Skip to content

BIPOC Book Club and Food: Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Photo of Kendra Leon
Hosted By
Kendra L.
BIPOC Book Club and Food: Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Details

From Goodreads:
We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?

In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a 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.

****PLEASE READ****

We will be speaking freely, often in critique of white supremacy, patriarchy, and misogyny. If you do not identify as BIPOC, you're welcome to join as a co-conspiritor, keeping in mind we prioritize BIPOC voices. We have an anti-racist lens with every discussion we have. Non-BIPOC co-conspirators will be screened.

Photo of Seattle BIPOC+ Books and Events! group
Seattle BIPOC+ Books and Events!
See more events
Mam’s Bookstore
608 Maynard Ave S · Seattle , WA
Google map of the user's next upcoming event's location
FREE