This award-winning debut novel by Yaa Gyasi is a beautifully written story about lineage and circumstance. The tale begins in 1770s Ghana with two half-sisters whose fates diverge dramatically — one marries a high-ranking British slaver, while the other is sold into slavery. Gyasi’s thoughtful, evocative prose takes readers on a journey from the sisters’ parallel lives through the generations of their descendants to the present day. The book explores myriad themes, including colonialism, imperialism, segregation, women’s roles, identity, and heritage.
In March, we will host the first of four discussion meetups — one per quarter — at a venue and date to be determined. We’ll swap books (bring your favorites to pass along) and reveal the next Indy Book Club selection. Also, we’ve partnered with the Santa Barbara Public Library, which will carry extra copies of the Indy Book Club picks and join us for the meetups.
To find out more about the Indy Book Club, keep an eye on the print issue and independent.com/category/arts-entertainment, as we will be announcing more details as they unfold. Get started by joining our Goodreads group at tinyurl.com/SBIndyGoodreads