Black Cake: A Read with Jenna Pick: A Novel

Eleanor Bennett has died, and her two children are summoned by her lawyer to listen to their mother’s lengthy recorded voice message. In it, she divulges many incredible secrets that she used to ensure her survival. She also leaves them a black cake, the last black cake she ever made. I love this book! This is an incredible tale filled with many twists and turns, and with many branches that are all eventually tied up together into one awesome story. The characters are amazing and the settings are lush with description. The plot is so intriguing that I couldn't put it down! I can’t say enough about this one! This is a tale of family, friendship, love and heartache. It is also about the importance of tradition. In addition, our author deals with the difficulties that arise when people are forced to fit into categories determined by others. You have to experience this precious book!

Black Cake is a wonderful read for any time of the year, but would be an especially refreshing “beach read” that will surely keep the reader looking for more. I really loved how the author, little by little, peeled back the unexpected mysteries of the protagonist and her husband that kept the reader guessing and definitely engaged. The characters were insightfully developed, and I loved how the protagonist and other characters are not only highly skilled swimmers (which is often not associated with local Caribbean life), but are at one with the ocean: their other home, and how the ocean is pivotal to the story, along with the black cake. Yet, even though I liked how the black cake recipe was woven into the story I believe it could have been woven in more seamlessly and more cohesively. But, this is still one of the books I really enjoyed reading in the past year and highly, highly recommend it.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars) Black Cake was a deeply meaningful and enriching read for me. The cultural depth and storytelling were beautifully constructed, weaving together history, identity, family, and legacy in a way that felt both expansive and intimate. Charmaine Wilkerson created a narrative that moves between past and present with such care, revealing how personal histories shape who we become and how we love. This book impacted me on a very personal level. Because the story begins with the death of the mother, it was emotionally challenging at times and brought me back to my own experience with loss. There were moments when I had to pause and sit with those feelings. But even in its heaviness, the story felt healing. The exploration of family secrets, generational dynamics, and cultural heritage was profound and handled with so much grace. The rich context of history, the present-day relationships, and the layered personal dynamics made this an unforgettable reading experience. It’s the kind of book that stays with you long after you finish. Though it took me some time to get through it, I’m incredibly grateful I did. Getting this off my TBR felt special, and I’m so glad I gave this story the space it deserved. A powerful, emotional, and beautifully told novel that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

This was my August book club book and I didn't think if like it, being mostly a fantasy/sci-fi girlie, but I loved it! I read about 30 pages one night, then picked it up the next day and didn't put it down til it was done. It's told in alternating POVs from probably 15ish different characters, but every storyline was fascinating in its own way. It tells the story of the mother in a way that makes it almost like a mystery-- you know how her story ends, and how it starts, but how it gets from point A to point B is a WILD ride. I never had any clue where the story was going to take me next. The book explores themes of the trials and tribulations of family, loyalty and duty to your loved ones, empathy and forgiveness for others' mistakes, and the parts of our culture and our own experiences that forms identity. I cried multiple times, but in a cathartic way. Immediately upon finishing, I walked out and handed it to my partner so she could read it too and I'd have someone to bask in it with. Not everyone in book club loved it as much as I did, but (how to I say this politely...) as middle aged, upper middle class women of NOT color in a conservative neighborhood, they might not have been the target audience. I think it hit a lot harder for me as a young, queer Title I teacher whose mother grew up sleeping on the floor in front of a wood stove on a tobacco farm. You'll either get the story this book is trying to tell, or you won't. This book does contain mentions of rape, racism, grief, queer characters who experience homophobia, and generally just a lot of emotional turmoil of characters who have led hard lives, so readers be advised.

I was into reading this book as it was a bestseller and referenced Jamaica, altho she never says that. I found the plot very contrived. Beyond believability. And as others have mentioned, having multiple names for each character can be confusing. She seems to be a good writer but this was not well executed.

Convey is a strong woman who overcomes many obstacles in her life. She is abandoned by her mother at a young age. She is emotionally abandoned by her weak father. Married off to an evil loan shark thug who mysteriously dies at their wedding. Runs away. Changes her identity. Finds the love of her life. Keeps secrets her entire life. I liked the short chapters. Each one was written in a succinct way that allowed the reader to think about what he/she had just read. I liked each of the characters. So believable. The black cake was baked for special occasions. The recipe was passed down through generations. Stories were shared during the baking process and while enjoying the cake. Our family has a special cake that I bake at Christmas. It has been passed down through at least four generations. A cup of brandy is placed in the center of the cake and covered with a tea towel several weeks before Christmas. The cake absorbs the essence of the brandy and keeps the cake moist. We share stories about our family as we enjoy our orange slice Christmas cake. The black cake and our Christmas cake represent family, heritage, love.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I consider myself to be a pretty slow reader, but black cake had me hunkered down for hours reading it, I just could not put it down! It is a heartwarming, though sad and tragic at times story of family, the significance of family tradition, identity, love, reunification and loss. I love how the book touches on how all of us, take a little something from everyone we come in contact with in our lives . I also enjoyed the mystery element if the book, and I appreciate how no questions were left unanswered. Lord I hope the next book I read is as enjoyable as this one.

A story of love, loyalty, survival, endurance…At the end, I’m now wondering are right and wrong absolute terms. Hmmm…not so clear anymore, because who is to say what happened to Covey’s “husband” should or shouldn’t have happened?

Enjoyed reading this book. Loved the characters and the descriptions. Very well written.

After the death of Eleanor Bennett, her two children Byron and Benny are left behind with an inheritance of a black cake (made from family recipe) and a voice recorded story. A story about a young girl, a promising swimmer who fled her native land as a result of being the prime suspect of a murder. Their world quakes with various questions as she reveals that they have another sister and that they must eat the cake only when the time is right. They will know know when the time is right. The narration oscillates between the past and present setting smoothly. The story unfolds beautifully whilst touching on various themes like family, lineage, racism, survival, cultural diaspora, environmental issues, motherhood and so many more. I particularly enjoyed debutant author's storytelling style, there was an immediate command yet a warm ease to the whole atmosphere. It made me look forward to keep turning the pages for revelations. The characters, each and everyone of them entwined in realistic, flawed relationships. These characters Benny, Byron, Eleanor, Charles, Covey, Pearl, Bunny and Marble will stay with me for a long time. The delicacy of handling blame, regret, guilt, confusion was masterfully crafted. My review will be incomplete if I don't talk about the black cake traditions, the food and culture element in the story. It gave it an added leverage to the story for me personally. The description and details of the setting clasped together wonderfully along the plot. Finally how the plot unfolded and then wrapped up in the end felt just right to me. This is a tale that warms one's heart through and through. There was so much to take away from this tale. I recommend it to all those who love a good historical family fiction.

とてもいい状態で届きました。到着日も予定より早く。

Oh my aching heart! How I loved this book – such an emotional, well-written story about family and belonging, one I will remember for a long time to come. Reviews for favourite books are the hardest to write, but I will try to put into words how this story affected me. I will go as far as to say that it was my favourite book for 2024! I love stories about family secrets and sibling relationships, so was instantly intrigued by Eleanor Bennett’s deathbed message to her children. Over an eight-hour recording, she confides aspects of her past that will change Byron and Benny’s lives in ways they could never have anticipated. Wilkerson knows how to bring her characters to life, and it didn’t take long for them to worm their way into my mind and my heart. They all felt so real to me! There was so much to unwrap here: strong women, love, race, culture, belonging, sexuality, family dysfunction, and lots of secrets, all handled sensitively and with lots of heart. At the end, I felt happy and in tears at the same time, realising that these wonderful characters will stay in my mind for a while yet. BLACK CAKE is a book to savour slowly and deliberately, getting to know the background of each character and what drives them. Like the cake the book is named after, this is a rich and flavoursome story steeped in love and a multitude of flavours that all blend together to form an amazing whole. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of a small Caribbean island, there was an element of armchair travel as well that made me want to jump on a plane and go there. I’m really lost for words here – if only my heart could speak and express how much this book affected me. A truly wonderful story, very highly recommended. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would!

The book is amazing!