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Writer's pictureElodie A.

Book Review + Questions: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Updated: Sep 15, 2023




Hey Everyone! We had our monthly book club session last night. I still can't believe it's been more than a year since our first one. Book Club has brought me so much. It brought me back my love for books. I now have a book shelf which is quickly piling up with books. Old members have now become friends and new faces bring a breath of fresh air to the group.


Anyways, for the month of July we read the book, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.


I made sure to get the book right away and get right into it, afraid that I might not be finished on time. Turns out I read it in less than a week and I had to refresh my memory a little bit before book club.


I have to admit that when I received the book, I was a bit apprehensive. Obviously I finished reading the book and all, but I'm still wondering how the hell the author managed to tell such a complex and complete story in only 300 pages. I travelled through time, in different countries, and met at least 20 people!


This isn't the typical book I'm used to. I like sad stories but with a happy ending. Every time I yearned for a happy scene, it didn't happen. On the contrary. I was reminded that reality is not so generous!


The early chapters were rich and immersive (contrary to the later ones). Gut-wrenching. There were definitely some chapters where I had to put the book down and give myself a rest. The tribal warring, these kidnapping, the slavery, the beatings, the whips, the imprisonment, segregation, and racism - it's truly heartbreaking!


Let me know if you've already read the book or are planning to! 😊📖



Book Club Questions:

  1. What do you think of the significance of the title?

  2. What do you think of the book structure and the way it was written?

  3. Which character / story had the biggest impact on you?

  4. Which character/story did you like the least?

  5. Why do you think the author chose to follow two different family lines, one in America and one in Africa, instead of just one family line?

  6. Which story line, if any, did you wish was it's own full length novel?

  7. Which family line do you think had it worse, Effia's or Essi's?

  8. What does fire symbolise?

  9. What does water symbolise?

  10. How do you feel about the male characters in the novel or how men are portrayed?

  11. How do you feel by the fact that the second stone was never found?

  12. How did you like the ending?

  13. Have you ever read a book before that was set during the slave trade on the African continent?

  14. What is something new you learned about history reading this book?

  15. What's a question I didn't ask that you'd like to discuss?


xoxo Elodie















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