by Yaa Gyasi
Reviewed by Janet:
Half-sisters Effia and Esi were born in different villages in 18th century Ghana, and they never know each other. Alternating chapters trace the generations of Effia’s descendants in Ghana and Esi’s in the United States, depicting their lives against the historical backgrounds and events of each country. An unflinching and intimate look at the struggles and fears of the characters in each time and place, against the background of slavery and its lasting repercussions.