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Reading lists

20 books everyone should read in their forties

A photograph of Yaa Gyasi surrounded by the flowers and patterns of her book cover

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Interviews

What inspires Yaa Gyasi

From Alex Garland to James Joyce, Yaa Gyasi to Kate Chopin, here are some of the most memorable beach scenes captured in literature. 

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The most memorable beach scenes in literature

The books that influenced Homegoing author Yaa Gyasi

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The books that influenced Yaa Gyasi

Homegoing

A BBC Top 100 Novels that Shaped Our World 
 
Effia and Esi: two sisters with two very different destinies. One sold into slavery; one a slave trader's wife. The consequences of their fate reverberate through the generations that follow. Taking us from the Gold Coast of Africa to the cotton-picking plantations of Mississippi; from the missionary schools of Ghana to the dive bars of Harlem, spanning three continents and seven generations, Yaa Gyasi has written a miraculous novel - the intimate, gripping story of a brilliantly vivid cast of characters and through their lives the very story of America itself. 
 
Epic in its canvas and intimate in its portraits, Homegoing is a searing and profound debut from a masterly new writer. 
 
'This incredible book travels from Ghana to the US revealing how slavery destroyed so many families, traditions and lives - and how its terrifying impact is still reverberating now. Gyasi has created a story of real power and insight' Stylist, the Decade's 15 Best Books by Remarkable Women 
 
Selected for Granta's Best of Young American Novelists 2017 
Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Best First Book 
Shortlisted for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction 
Shortlisted for the Beautiful Book Award 2017

This novel boldly pushes the scope and possibilities of what historical fiction can do. Intimate yet expansive . . . one of the many extraordinary achievements of Gyasi's enviable debut is the writer's ability to make all the myriad descendants here - enslaved mothers, carpenters, academics - equally worthy of the reader's sustained engagement and compassion

Shows the unmistakable touch of a gifted writer

I think I needed to read a book like this to remember what is possible. I think I needed to remember what happens when you pair a gifted literary mind to an epic task. Homegoing is an inspiration

Ta-Nehisi Coates, National Book Award winning author of 'Between the World and Me'

Wildly ambitious debut by a 26-year-old writer . . . It's impossible not to admire the ambition and scope of Homegoing

Remarkable, is a devastating account of America....explores horror without ever losing sight of humanity or hope

[A] commanding debut . . . will stay with you long after you've finished reading. When people talk about all the things fiction can teach its readers, they're talking about books like this

Gyasi gives voice, and an empathetic ear, to the ensuing seven generations of flawed and deeply human descendants, creating a patchwork mastery of historical fiction

Homegoing is a novel I wish I could have read when I was a young woman. An intelligent, beautiful and healing read, destined to become a classic

Homegoing is one hell of a book... I recommend Homegoing without reservation. Definitely a must read for 2016.

The brilliance of this structure, in which we know more than the characters do about the fate of their parents and children, pays homage to the vast scope of slavery without losing sight of its private devastation . . . . [Toni Morrison's] influence is palpable in Gyasi's historicity and lyricism; she shares Morrison's uncanny ability to crystalize, in a single event, slavery's moral and emotional fallout. What is uniquely Gyasi's is her ability to connect it so explicitly to the present day: No novel has better illustrated the way in which racism became institutionalized in this country.

Homegoing is a remarkable feat - a novel at once epic and intimate, capturing the moral weight of history as it bears down on individual struggles, hopes and fears. A tremendous debut

Phil Klay, National Book Award-winning author of Redeployment

Rarely does a grand, sweeping epic plumb interior lives so thoroughly. Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing is a marvel.

Dave Wheeler, associate editor, Shelf Awareness

Homegoing is an epic novel in every sense of the word - spanning three centuries, Homegoing is a sweeping account of two half-sisters in 18th-century Ghana and the lives of their many generations of descendants in America. A stunning, unforgettable account of family, history, and racism, Homegoing is an ambitious work that lives up to the hype.

One of the richest, most rewarding reads of 2016

Gyasi echoes [James] Baldwin's understanding of a common culture marked by both yearning and pain, in which black people can confront each other across differences and reach a political understanding about what unites them. What distinguishes Gyasi's presentation of this idea is its scope: She does not present us with a single moment, but rather delivers a multigenerational saga in which two branches of a family, separated by slavery and time, emerge from the murk of history in a romantic embrace . . . . . Homegoing is a reminder of the tenacity of fathers and mothers who struggle to keep their kin alive. The novel succeeds when it retrieves individual lives from the oblivion mandated by racism and spins the story of the family's struggle to survive.

A memorable epic of changing families and changing nations

Yaa Gyasi establishes herself as an exciting new literary voice with a powerful debut

A hypnotic debut novel by... a stirringly gifted young writer

Tremendous...spectacular...[Homegoing is] essential reading from a young writer whose stellar instincts, sturdy craftsmanship and penetrating wisdom seem likely to continue apace - much to our good fortune as readers

[A] sprawling epic... brims with compassion... In Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi has given rare and heroic voice to the missing and suppressed

A bold tale of slavery for a new 'Roots' generation

Rich, epic. . . Each chapter is tightly plotted, and there are suspenseful, even spectacular climaxes

Rarely does a grand, sweeping epic plumb interior lives so thoroughly. Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing is a marvel

Homegoing is stunning - a truly heartbreaking work of literary genius

This is, hand on heart, a completely brilliant novel...a brilliant debut. If this isn't shortlisted for some prizes next year, I'll be disappointed

Stylist's pick of the best new books for 2017

Encompassing events major and minor, but skilfully skipping the civil war, it humanises big issues by giving us unforgettable characters. It could not be more relevant or needed

Gyasi imbues indigenous life with richness and dignity, in a style that owes something - though by no means everything - to Chinua Achebe...it serves as the engine for a powerful message

A future classic and a novel that you'll want to pass on to everyone you know...the real deal...2017 is set to be the year of Homegoing

While the issues she wrestles with are heavy, her writing is a joy....Now, more than ever, we need books like this one

Homegoing is remarkable...the writing at the end of the book is every bit as vital as that at the start...she has produced a contemporary classic - one you'll actually want to read

Toni Morrison's Beloved spoke to a generation. Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing will do the same for a new one. In a word, it's brilliant. And not just "for a debut"

The powerful narrative of Yaa Gyasi's accomplished first novel do more than reveal the history that still troubles the United States. They make that history immediate

A fascinating view of the history of slavery...Gyasi gives voice to suppressed stories, and that feels hugely important....it certainly deserves our attention

A searing indictment of racism and a very impressive debut

Ambitious, superbly written, important - don't miss this one

It is written with such maturity and beauty, that it is hard to believe it is Gyasi's first published work...Gyasi has created a masterpiece which is educational, highly ambitious and extremely touching. Her writing style is raw and intense and leaves one desperate to see what work she will produce in the future

This unputdownable tale spans three continents and seven generations to tell the story of a family and of America itself

A bold and ambitious debut...full of fire and youthful confidence

Here is a book to help us remember. It is well worth its weight

Hands down the best book I've read in months...I can't wait to see what Yaa Gyasi does next

Gyasi has created a masterpiece which is educational, highly ambitious and extremely touching

Through her words we come to understand parts of history that are sometimes ignored

A wonderfully evocative and compassionate novel - one that shows deftness, depth and maturity. Homegoing is a gift to its readers and a treasure to cherish

The structure is fantastically strong, but it would have been nothing without Gyasi's ability to bring each character alive. At every turn she resists cliché and dogma ... she deftly weaves in just enough historical information without sacrificing its complexity ... Homegoing has something better than perfection, and that is a touch of magic... [Gyasi is] the right artist at the right time

Gyasi's debut novel has a distinctive strength and courage ... a descendent of Alex Haley's Roots and Toni Morrison's Beloved, an extended response to Joyce Carol Oates's Last Hundred Years trilogy

A confident, vivid, engrossingtale [that] winds towards a moving conclusion

Gyasi's widescreen view of history powerfully drives home her view that we are all responsible for ourselves and for each other ... a highly compassionate feat of storytelling

Entwining history, politics and personal events, this is an ambitious novel that is, and will continue to be, highly culturally relevant

Ambition and talent don't always go hand-in-hand; here they unquestionably do

Tracing the descendants of two women across seven generations, this unflinching debut from Ghanaian-American author Yaa Gyasi examines the lingering effects of slavery from the 18th-century Gold Coast to the US at the turn of the 21st century

Ambitious, multi-generational saga of the effects of the slave trade

Effia and Esi: two sisters with two very different destinies. One sold into slavery; one a slave trader's wife. The consequences of their fates reverberate through the generations that follow. Taking us from the Gold Coast of Africa to a cotton-picking plantation in Mississippi; from a village missionary school to the dive bars of Harlem, spanning three continents and seven generations, Yaa Gyasi has written a miraculous novel - an intense, heartbreaking story of one family and through their lives the very story of America itself. 
 
Epic in its canvas and intimate in its portraits, Homegoing is a novel about how history shapes us all. It is a searing and profound debut from a masterly new writer.

Effia and Esi: two sisters with two very different destinies. One sold into slavery; one a slave trader's wife. The consequences of their fate reverberate through the generations that follow. Taking us from the Gold Coast of Africa to the cotton-picking plantations of Mississippi; from the missionary schools of Ghana to the dive bars of Harlem, spanning three continents and seven generations, Yaa Gyasi has written a miraculous novel - the intimate, gripping story of a brilliantly vivid cast of characters and through their lives the very story of America itself. 
 
Epic in its canvas and intimate in its portraits, Homegoing is a searing and profound debut from a masterly new writer.

Yaa Gyasi

A brilliant novel, with not a word out of place

A piercing story of faith, science and the opioid crisis . . . Transcendent Kingdom really sings. There's bravery as well as beauty here

Transcendent Kingdom is a novel for all times

Absolutely transcendent. A gorgeously woven narrative . . . not a word or idea out of place. I am quite angry this is so good

Transcendent Kingdom is a quietly magnificent novel - vivid, touching and beautifully written, and also unafraid to be, and to remain, really very sad.

Her equally outstanding second novel, Transcendent Kingdom, smaller in scale, is another graceful exploration of trauma reverberating through a family...introspective and intimate

This novel is an unflinching account of loss, but it is also a moving tribute to the ability of the human spirit to endure such tragedies

Gyasi's novel is a thoughtful analysis of a pressing social problem

Among other things [Transcendent Kingdom] is a sharp reckoning with the tensions between race, science and religion...its scope is pared back, its register intimate - not many writers can switch style like this

A powerful portrayal of love and faith that reminds us how our parents' actions can ripple through generations

Perhaps neither science nor religion alone could capture transcendence, but Gyasi has proved, once again, that a novel can

A book of blazing brilliance . . . A double helix of wisdom and rage twists through the quiet lines of this novel. Yaa Gyasi is one of the most enlightening novelists writing today

A compelling look at a woman's struggle to move on from the devastating effects of her family falling apart in front of her eyes

The must-read book of the year so far

A powerful, wholly unsentimental novel about family love, loss, belonging and belief that is more focused but just as daring as its predecessor, and to my mind even more successful

Gyasi's second novel, Transcendent Kingdom, is a very different book, and, I think, a better one - contemporary, personal, acutely focused on a single family, and intensely felt

Exquisitely written with a lightness of touch despite its difficult themes; this novel is a triumph

Raw, powerful storytelling that tackles race, religion, addiction and grief in a thoughtful way

With deft agility and undeniable artistry, Gyasi's latest is an eloquent examination of resilient survival

The Ghanaian-American has become a firm literary favour...Transcendent Kingdom is sure to cement her spot further

Meticulous, psychologically complex ... At once a vivid evocation of the immigrant experience and a sharp delineation of an individual's inner struggle, the novel brilliantly succeeds on both counts

Transcendent Kingdom is quiet in the way a wise soul will sit in the corner, clear their throat and when they speak, everyone listens...Transcendent Kingdom is a book always asking this question: how did we get here?

The range Gyasi displays in just two books is staggering

Remarkable, a devastating account of America . . . explores horror without ever losing sight of humanity or hope

A stirringly gifted writer. It's impossible not to admire the ambition and scope of Homegoing

If you want to know why the world is this way, try this book for starters

I need a book like this to remember what is possible

Beautifully written . . . a raw look at the personal destruction caused by the opioid crisis

A poignant story of family love, loss and ambition

Yaa Gyasi's writing is shining even as the tangled traumas of the past come to the surface

'Yaa's depiction of these illnesses; substance addiction and depression and the family's deep-rooted tangled traumas, is skilful . . . Transcendent Kingdom is a story of love, loss and redemption, and holds a mirror up to one version of the first-generation immigrant experience that will sadly seem familiar to many of us

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021

As a child Gifty would ask her parents to tell the story of their journey from Ghana to Alabama, seeking escape in myths of heroism and romance. When her father and brother succumb to the hard reality of immigrant life in the American South, their family of four becomes two - and the life Gifty dreamed of slips away. 
 
Years later, desperate to understand the opioid addiction that destroyed her brother's life, she turns to science for answers. But when her mother comes to stay, Gifty soon learns that the roots of their tangled traumas reach farther than she ever thought, deep into the dark heart of modern America. 
 
Transcendent Kingdom is a searing story of love, loss and redemption, and the myriad ways we try to rebuild our lives from the rubble of our collective pasts.

Yaa Gyasi

Praise for Transcendent Kingdom

A brilliant novel, with not a word out of place

A piercing story of faith, science and the opioid crisis . . . Transcendent Kingdom really sings. There's bravery as well as beauty here

Transcendent Kingdom is a novel for all times

A brilliant novel, with not a word out of place

A piercing story of faith, science and the opioid crisis . . . Transcendent Kingdom really sings. There's bravery as well as beauty here

Transcendent Kingdom is a novel for all times

A brilliant novel, with not a word out of place

A piercing story of faith, science and the opioid crisis . . . Transcendent Kingdom really sings. There's bravery as well as beauty here

Transcendent Kingdom is a novel for all times

Books by Yaa Gyasi

Articles featuring Yaa Gyasi

20 books everyone should read in their forties

What inspires Yaa Gyasi

The most memorable beach scenes in literature

The books that influenced Yaa Gyasi

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