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Black Cake
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.

I am starting this book today.

I read this previously and rated it 5 stars. I'll be anxious to hear what others have to say about their experience!

I rated this 3 stars- I actually loved the backstory, but the modern day part not so much.

I read this book awhile ago and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. Looking forward to hearing what others think.

I own this book and have been meaning to read it for so long. Glad to see that mostly everyone really enjoyed it. So, now I must find some time and read it 📚

Bonnie wrote: "I rated this 3 stars- I actually loved the backstory, but the modern day part not so much."

Agreed, I did not like Benny and Byron’s characters, nor their storylines, as much as I enjoyed the others. But I did find the book overall entertaining and enjoyed the theme of how family secrets have ongoing ripples through the generations.

This was OK. I agree, the backstory was the most interesting part of this book. It was a little slow moving with not a lot to it. After a while I got tired of all the POV switching. But on the whole it was a unique story and perspective. I'd never even heard of black cake before this, so learning about that was cool. And I really enjoyed the awakening which Byron experienced, the release of secrets and expectations was very freeing for him I thought.