Black Cake (Charmaine Wilkerson)

I recall, on the last day of school I was going about asking my old teachers for their autographs. When I caught my 8th standard teacher unawares, she said “I would really like to write something good for you”. Decades later today, this memory surfaces up so naturally as I read the last bits of Black Cake. This is the feeling I share at this point of time. I really wish to write something good for this book by debut writer Charmaine Wilkerson.

Being a highly anticipated book of 2022, I was expecting it to be a quality read. And, it doesn’t fall short at all. The brilliance of this book stumped me. If one could embrace a story, it is this beautiful story that I would.

Black Cake is a multi-generational story of grit, tradition, inheritance, friendship, memories, racism and secrets. And all interwoven around the most powerful emotion of love. Love of a mother for her children above all. Life keeps failing our protagonist, Eleanor Bennett time and again. And, each time she stood up strong and built a new life for herself. Now, in her death, she wishes to unite her present & the past. Her present day family and the family that was lost. In doing so, it unravels truths none of them had ever known.

Review

What touched me most about Black Cake is the love of a mother for her estranged daughter. Her daughter was forcibly separated a few days after birth. But, the mother’s only dying wish still is to reunite the girl with her other siblings she never knew existed. It overwhelms my heart to realize how a mother’s heart works. Despite hardly having held her child, she still loves her equally as her other children. It was a relief that she didn’t die without finding her at the very least. And she leaves the rest to her children to complete. To complete her dying wish.

This apart, Black Cake is a story that brims with exceptional sequences and situations. It had me on the edge right from the start. At a point, all you hope for is a safe escape for Covey from The Little Man. The relief to see her survive the train crash – sad nonetheless for the loss of her friend. It has such intricately woven characters – all of them linked to one another.

Initially it may overwhelm trying to remember who’s who. But as we move along, it is a delight to read. All these characters from the past start returning to the present day and take their rightful place. It is like a big jigsaw puzzle that starts taking shape ever so beautifully. Wilkerson beautifully drives home the importance of pieces of history into the present. The trinkets in a wooden box a reminder of a long lost friend. Or, your own child named after your childhood friend.

Beautiful Symbolisms

The essence of the book lies in the symbolism of the Black Cake. That is the only piece of inheritance in Covey’s life as she continues to fall and rebuild. A small little family tradition is actually far more significant than what it appears. It is a piece of history, a collage of memories and a legacy you pass on to the next generation. When all is lost, what still remains with Covey is her mom’s recipe of the black cake. And nothing can presumably snatch that away from her. It is the Black Cake – a slice of which they take to celebrate each anniversary. And, it is the Black Cake that symbolically unites the three siblings. They cut it together, as their mother had desired.

Another endearing piece from the book is Charmaine Wilkerson’s description of the old plastic measuring cup. The cup that has remained in their family for five decades. It has survived the beatings of time and use. And now holding it in her hand, Benny feels it probably has her mother’s DNA on it. Probably her mother has not totally disappeared after all. Heart wrenching.

I was pleasantly surprised to see each of the past lost character revisited in the end. It was a nice touch from Wilkerson. The book has it’s share of a small little secret as well – as to who killed The Little Man! When the jelly fish was being repeatedly mentioned, I was quite expecting the end of Etta Pringle. But thankfully, the author keeps her alive! Last but not the least, the symbolic end to the story was beautiful. The ashes along with the last black cake being laid to rest into the ocean , where it all started.

Narration

I loved the narration of this book. Wilkerson has used a unique style of writing throughout the book. She repeats a particular thing in three or four different ways to describe it. For instance – “Bert, who had begun his law studies….. Bert, who had cut himself off….. Bert, who had taught his little girl….” This is something you cannot miss and makes for a very interesting read.

Conclusion

Black Cake is a book with depth. A compelling read, undoubtedly one of the best books of 2022. I whole heartedly recommend this book! Grab your copy now at Amazon! Amazing that the two of my favorites for the year (The Maid being the other) are both debut authors.