Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?

In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.

Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?

Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

Goodreads Choice Award

Nominee for Best Historical Fiction (2022),

Nominee for Best Debut Novel (2022)

My Verdict

“Black Cake” is a tasty read. Wilkerson’s scenes unfold as quick-paced chapters, immersing readers into the minds and environments of the characters. It took me on a journey that forces me to look at how both chance encounters and historical events alter a family. The effects ripple out for generations, and the novel allows for a full reflection on how one’s self-identity can change in an instant. We are left to think about the things we inherit from our ancestors — physical traits, mental and emotional strife, even cultural attachments, like a beloved recipe that has the power to bring us home, if only in our minds.

I enjoyed this book. It is intense. There are moments of lightness, for sure, but it doesn’t shy away from taking some pretty heart-wrenching turns. I found myself in constant awe of Wilkerson’s ability to weave such a wide-ranging story and group of characters together, all while seamlessly incorporating themes of motherhood, resilience, womanhood, friendship, racism, environmentalism . . . truly I could list about a dozen more. I give this book 4.5 stars.