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Portrait of Yaa Gyasi
Deep Dive

Yaa Gyasi

Homegoing · Historical

The Marginalia
Homegoing
Yaa Gyasi
Cover of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Book summary

Two half-sisters in 18th-century Ghana set in motion 300 years of family history. A club-favorite historical pick — our members spent a full month with Homegoing, unpacking its structure, its heart, and the questions it leaves behind.

Comments · 9,877

U
Ulysses Rathbone

Finished this one in two sittings and I'm still turning the last chapter over. The secondary characters carry more weight than they get credit for. Still thinking about that final line.

❤️ 11

N
Nina Kingsley

Read it out loud to my partner in the evenings — highly recommend that way. It's a quiet book with a very loud ending. Solid four stars, and a full five for the ending.

❤️ 21

W
Wallace Prewitt

I had to pause halfway through and just sit with it. Every scene has a door in it. Someone in chat pointed that out and I lost my mind. Five stars from me.

❤️ 51

J
Juniper Vance

Read it out loud to my partner in the evenings — highly recommend that way. The dialogue is doing about four jobs at once. Already lent my copy out twice.

❤️ 11

R
Rowan Sterling

I had to pause halfway through and just sit with it. The prose does that trick where it's plain until suddenly it isn't. Would happily do a re-read discussion next year.

❤️ 21

H
Hazel Sinclair

Our little side-thread on the middle section was the best part of the month. Structurally it reminded me of last spring's pick, but warmer. Bumping the author's backlist to the top of my stack.

❤️ 51

S
Simon Prewitt

I had to pause halfway through and just sit with it. Every scene has a door in it. Someone in chat pointed that out and I lost my mind. Thanks to everyone who posted here — made the read twice as good.

❤️ 21

T
Tamsin Nightingale

Second read for me, and it's a different book the second time. I loved how little it explains itself. One of my favourites from the archive.

❤️ 61

F
Felix Linden

I came in skeptical and left completely won over. The pacing wobbles in the third quarter but the payoff earns it. Still thinking about that final line.

❤️ 11

W
Wren Kingsley

Read it out loud to my partner in the evenings — highly recommend that way. It's a quiet book with a very loud ending. Solid four stars, and a full five for the ending.

❤️ 61

H
Hazel Sinclair

Our little side-thread on the middle section was the best part of the month. Structurally it reminded me of last spring's pick, but warmer. Bumping the author's backlist to the top of my stack.

❤️ 264

R
Rowan Sterling

I had to pause halfway through and just sit with it. The prose does that trick where it's plain until suddenly it isn't. Would happily do a re-read discussion next year.

❤️ 234

H
Harriet Marsh

Our little side-thread on the middle section was the best part of the month. It's a quiet book with a very loud ending. One of my favourites from the archive.

❤️ 273

S
Simon Prewitt

I had to pause halfway through and just sit with it. Every scene has a door in it. Someone in chat pointed that out and I lost my mind. Thanks to everyone who posted here — made the read twice as good.

❤️ 234

D
Delphine Ashcroft

Second read for me, and it's a different book the second time. Whoever flagged the recurring water imagery — thank you, I can't unsee it now. Solid four stars, and a full five for the ending.

❤️ 234

J
Jonah Sterling

I had to pause halfway through and just sit with it. The prose does that trick where it's plain until suddenly it isn't. Still thinking about that final line.

❤️ 224

J
Juniper Vance

Read it out loud to my partner in the evenings — highly recommend that way. The dialogue is doing about four jobs at once. Already lent my copy out twice.

❤️ 224

W
Wallace Prewitt

I had to pause halfway through and just sit with it. Every scene has a door in it. Someone in chat pointed that out and I lost my mind. Five stars from me.

❤️ 264

H
Hazel Kingsley

Read it out loud to my partner in the evenings — highly recommend that way. It's a quiet book with a very loud ending. Bumping the author's backlist to the top of my stack.

❤️ 224

G
Grace Sterling

I had to pause halfway through and just sit with it. The prose does that trick where it's plain until suddenly it isn't. Would happily do a re-read discussion next year.

❤️ 273