--- product_id: 42491051 title: "Homegoing" price: "£17.14" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/42491051-homegoing store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Homegoing **Price:** £17.14 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Homegoing - **How much does it cost?** £17.14 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/42491051-homegoing) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE'S JOHN LEONARD PRIZE • WINNER OF THE PEN / HEMINGWAY AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION • Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery. One of Oprah’s Best Books of the Year, Homegoing follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. Yaa Gyasi’s extraordinary novel illuminates slavery’s troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayed—and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation. Review: Captivating. I couldn't put it down. - What a book! This book was chosen for my March book club and I didn't really know what to expect. And when I opened the book and saw a family tree on the first page, I was thinking, "Oh boy. This is going to be a long one." But I couldn't have been more wrong. I couldn't put it down. This was such an engrossing book that even when I forced myself to stop and go to bed (well after midnight most nights) I couldn't sleep because I would be thinking about the book. It's really a series of short stories that follows eight generations of a family, starting with two half sisters living in colonial Ghana. Each chapter focuses on the next generation until eight generations pass and it ends in present day America/Ghana. It's a very interesting way to write this story which would be prohibitively long if written in a traditional narrative. As such this method keeps the reader engaged as time jumps ahead, but keeps the story manageable. The chapters focus on the new generation and sometimes they interact with previous generations, but often they don't because of death or separation. It wasn't until chapter 4 that I realized I wouldn't be reading more about the characters I had become invested in chapters one and two (the two original sisters) and I was a little sad. But every chapter is like that because Gyaasi does such a wonderful job creating rich characters. I really enjoyed how Gyasi incorporates historical events into the stories which I felt really illustrated the impacts these abstract historical events had on the people who actually lived during that time (the chapters with the Fugitive Slave Act and the convict labor were particularly powerful to me, but the Asante wars and the storylines in Africa were very illuminating too.) I just found the book so powerful on so many levels, from compelling characters that you cared about to a broader picture of the horrors of slavery and the slave trade and how it affected Africans in Africa, not just the men and women who lived through slavery in America. It made me ruminate on my own family (white descendants from European immigrants) and how life has changed from generation to generation and my own awareness of my family history (which only goes back a few generations.) You know, so few people know family that is more than two generations back, and as those older generations go, it is less likely that the new ones will know anything about them and the lives they led and the things they did. The book can be very bleak as much of the time covered by the novel takes place during slavery and Jim Crow and segregation but it has a hopeful ending. Overall, I just can't recommend this book enough. Just excellent. Review: Character driven history of slavery and its long-lasting effects - More like 4.5 stars, because I feel like my small critique is more about my likes as reader than a flaw in the book/with the writer. Homegoing is at times a hard book to read given the topic. It is also fascinating to trace a story that we all know much deeper into its history than we are generally accustomed to. And the characters...wow -- a week after finishing the book, and I still think about some of them and their sad, sad stories. The book starts with a genealogy chart, and here is where I knew that I was in trouble (but I'm thankful I didn't turn back and close the "cover" (Kindle user)). I tend to struggle with novels that have such a cast of characters that one needs a chart to figure out the relations. And need the chart, I did. I went back to the chart at the start of almost every chapter (especially later in the book) to remind myself of which side of the family (Effia or Esi) and who the character's parents were. It is these familial connections that tie the book together and allow us to see the long-lasting impact of the institution of slavery. The book is structured so that each chapter is the story of a singular character (essentially, though again, because it follows the ancestry, that character's story is always part of another character(s)' story as well. And here is one of my small issues: each chapter, despite its connections to the other chapters, reads a bit like a short story. That is, I didn't ever feel "done" with that particular character and just kept wanting to know more of his/her story. I would wait anxiously to get the chapter about one of the offspring, but that generally did not satisfy my desire to know more of the original character's story. (This, ultimately, is both quibble and compliment, I suppose). Then there is the language. The unique turns-of-phrase and vivid analogies and metaphors make you feel like you are reading stories written by an aged and well-lived storyteller (as opposed to this young 20-something Iowa MFA). The language truly feels authentic to Ghanian culture. And it's beautiful. I did find the reading experience at the beginning to be richer and more immersive than in the later chapters of the book. I'm not sure why, but Gyasi's clever and unique use of language becomes less frequent later in the book. Perhaps this is representative of the book's shift into American culture and away from Ghana. On the whole, I did have trouble keeping track of all the characters (the book spans almost 300 years; what can I expect?), but it was a powerful enough read that I am still thinking about it (and ready to read Whitehead's The Underground Railroad!) a week after finishing it. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #3,887 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #6 in Black & African American Historical Fiction (Books) #42 in Family Saga Fiction #285 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 42,254 Reviews | ## Images ![Homegoing - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/812rA-K8ccL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Captivating. I couldn't put it down. *by A***S on March 21, 2018* What a book! This book was chosen for my March book club and I didn't really know what to expect. And when I opened the book and saw a family tree on the first page, I was thinking, "Oh boy. This is going to be a long one." But I couldn't have been more wrong. I couldn't put it down. This was such an engrossing book that even when I forced myself to stop and go to bed (well after midnight most nights) I couldn't sleep because I would be thinking about the book. It's really a series of short stories that follows eight generations of a family, starting with two half sisters living in colonial Ghana. Each chapter focuses on the next generation until eight generations pass and it ends in present day America/Ghana. It's a very interesting way to write this story which would be prohibitively long if written in a traditional narrative. As such this method keeps the reader engaged as time jumps ahead, but keeps the story manageable. The chapters focus on the new generation and sometimes they interact with previous generations, but often they don't because of death or separation. It wasn't until chapter 4 that I realized I wouldn't be reading more about the characters I had become invested in chapters one and two (the two original sisters) and I was a little sad. But every chapter is like that because Gyaasi does such a wonderful job creating rich characters. I really enjoyed how Gyasi incorporates historical events into the stories which I felt really illustrated the impacts these abstract historical events had on the people who actually lived during that time (the chapters with the Fugitive Slave Act and the convict labor were particularly powerful to me, but the Asante wars and the storylines in Africa were very illuminating too.) I just found the book so powerful on so many levels, from compelling characters that you cared about to a broader picture of the horrors of slavery and the slave trade and how it affected Africans in Africa, not just the men and women who lived through slavery in America. It made me ruminate on my own family (white descendants from European immigrants) and how life has changed from generation to generation and my own awareness of my family history (which only goes back a few generations.) You know, so few people know family that is more than two generations back, and as those older generations go, it is less likely that the new ones will know anything about them and the lives they led and the things they did. The book can be very bleak as much of the time covered by the novel takes place during slavery and Jim Crow and segregation but it has a hopeful ending. Overall, I just can't recommend this book enough. Just excellent. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Character driven history of slavery and its long-lasting effects *by V***L on September 8, 2016* More like 4.5 stars, because I feel like my small critique is more about my likes as reader than a flaw in the book/with the writer. Homegoing is at times a hard book to read given the topic. It is also fascinating to trace a story that we all know much deeper into its history than we are generally accustomed to. And the characters...wow -- a week after finishing the book, and I still think about some of them and their sad, sad stories. The book starts with a genealogy chart, and here is where I knew that I was in trouble (but I'm thankful I didn't turn back and close the "cover" (Kindle user)). I tend to struggle with novels that have such a cast of characters that one needs a chart to figure out the relations. And need the chart, I did. I went back to the chart at the start of almost every chapter (especially later in the book) to remind myself of which side of the family (Effia or Esi) and who the character's parents were. It is these familial connections that tie the book together and allow us to see the long-lasting impact of the institution of slavery. The book is structured so that each chapter is the story of a singular character (essentially, though again, because it follows the ancestry, that character's story is always part of another character(s)' story as well. And here is one of my small issues: each chapter, despite its connections to the other chapters, reads a bit like a short story. That is, I didn't ever feel "done" with that particular character and just kept wanting to know more of his/her story. I would wait anxiously to get the chapter about one of the offspring, but that generally did not satisfy my desire to know more of the original character's story. (This, ultimately, is both quibble and compliment, I suppose). Then there is the language. The unique turns-of-phrase and vivid analogies and metaphors make you feel like you are reading stories written by an aged and well-lived storyteller (as opposed to this young 20-something Iowa MFA). The language truly feels authentic to Ghanian culture. And it's beautiful. I did find the reading experience at the beginning to be richer and more immersive than in the later chapters of the book. I'm not sure why, but Gyasi's clever and unique use of language becomes less frequent later in the book. Perhaps this is representative of the book's shift into American culture and away from Ghana. On the whole, I did have trouble keeping track of all the characters (the book spans almost 300 years; what can I expect?), but it was a powerful enough read that I am still thinking about it (and ready to read Whitehead's The Underground Railroad!) a week after finishing it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Must Read *by J***N on June 23, 2016* Right off, in the beginning, I have to be open and honest with my readers. I was really excited about this book before it came out. I heard so many things about it from people who got an advanced copy that I was hyped for this book. Well, that sounds strange as it is about slavery, but I am guessing most understand what I mean. One of my main passions is understanding race/race relations. I have been waiting for this book for that reason. I even pre-ordered it months before it came out on Amazon. Now I have read Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi and I have to write- if you care anything about race, telling the story of slavery, great writing, or anything like that, this book needs to be on your shelf. Homegoing begins with two stories of half sisters from Ghanna- Effia and Esi. Effia winds up married to a British slave trader, while Esi winds up as one of his slaves, yet they do not know the other is present in the same castle. Each is presented with a precious black stone before they leave their respective villages and face their futures. From that point on, each chapter alternates with the descendants of each of these women. Each chapter looks at significant times in their descendants' lives. Effie's son Quey's story, for example, begins when he is older and is asked to return to his mother's village. The problem is he is now of mixed race, so there are some ramifications to his identity in the world- he is neither English nor from Ghanna. Ness' story on the other hand, the daughter of Esi, is more of a tragic story because she is a slave woman's illegitimate daughter. She is property rather than of privilege. She is a slave who picks cotton in Alabama. Her life is very different from Quey's. The incredible part of Gyasi's stories are they are not straightforward and don't necessarily go where one thinks they are headed. There are heartbreaking stories, there are romance stories, there are stories about identity, and many other deeper topics. One family does struggle a bit because of where they begin life, but that doesn't mean the other family has it any easier. The problems are just different. What I really enjoyed about seeing how the generations progress is how some of the great grandchildren have elements of their great grandmother. Some say similar things for example or have a way about them that just reminds the reader of a previous story. It isn't overtly done though and that is what is fun. There isn't a character who comes up and states something to the effect of- "That is just like what your grandmother used to do." That would be too easy. Gyasi allows to reader to pick up certain things because you, as reader, know each person's history. This book could have easily fallen flat, but I am so grateful that it didn't. This isn't just a good book to talk about race, identity, history, etc, but it is also great writing and storytelling too. Even though the reader only gets a glimpse of a character's life, one feels comfortable and knows that person. The book isn't necessarily the feel good story though and a few times I had to put the book down because I couldn't take what I just read, but it is an important book. I read The Underground Railroad right next to this one and I am telling you that will be a great companion piece to this book, when it comes out. This was an ambitious and risky book and it really paid off. Gyasi weaves the stories so well together that they stand on their own, but savvy readers will pick up little hints on ancestry. Seriously, get this book. This was a 5 star book! ## Frequently Bought Together - Homegoing - There There --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/42491051-homegoing](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/42491051-homegoing) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-06-20*