HOMEGOING

“When you study history, you must always ask yourself, Whose story am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth? Once you have figured that out, you must find that story too.”

My youngest recently asked me why so many books I read are sad. I explained there are different kinds of sadness in books - often plot driven, sometimes character driven - but a certain kind of sadness calls on us to bear witness, to learn, to respect. Homegoing, in all its beauty and heartbreak, doesn’t just ask us to do all these things - it demands it. Pay attention, the chapters seem to say, and know what has happened in these pages.

Homegoing begins with the divergent paths of two sisters separated at birth in Ghana, with each chapter alternating between the descendants of the two. As one sister is sold into slavery and the other is married off to a white English slaver, the generations that follow navigate the institutional oppression and profound unfairness that existed (exists) in both America and Africa - from the earliest years of slavery, Jim Crow era, civil rights and beyond, through present times. The storytelling is powerful, moving, important - and utterly unforgettable.

The cocoa trade features prominently in Homegoing, and so I’ve made some rich chocolate squares which are wholly inadequate to represent the depth and interest of Ghanaian cocoa - though they are delicious. To see some authentic and gorgeous Ghanaian chocolate, see @kitchenbutterfly ’s blog. The colors and patterns alone are worth it.

Side note: I recently had the privilege of visiting the incredible African American Museum of History and Culture in Washington DC. For all those who have read this book, that museum is a fascinating companion experience, giving context and background to this amazing story.