As an immigrant, she went to America in an attempt to make a better life, but things are not like that. Her awkwardness, pain and conflict is captured so well her complex relationships with her mother, with being a black woman in such a white, male industry and with religion were just brilliantly explored.

Transcendent Kingdom is her coming-of-age story, albeit in her late 20s. Gifty is one of my favourite characters of recent times. My soul is still my soul, even if I rarely call it that. I am looking for new names for old feelings. She is also very logical and practical, so we are there with her as she balances these two aspects of her mind. Gifty’s mother is very religious, so she was brought up with God and the Bible in her life. I adored the ideas explored in Transcendent Kingdom – correlating science and religion and ruminating on how the two co-exist and how (if) they can answer questions for each other. She feels like she has to be perfect, always the ‘good girl’ and has set herself very high standards. Her chosen career has personal roots, through flashback stories we discover why and find out more about what has made gifty the woman she is. Gifty is a neuroscientist, she conducts experiments to see if she can isolate the causes of addiction. Her father has long since gone back to Ghana and is a fleeting part of Gifty’s life. Gifty lives with her mother and older brother, Nana. Like author Yaa Gyasi, Gifty is of Ghanaian descent and grows up in Alabama, USA. Opening sentence: Whenever I think of my mother, I picture a queen-sized bed with her lying in it, a practiced stillness filling the room. For more information click here.Wow – what a read! Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi is one of those amazing books that explores so many ideas within a cohesive, engrossing narrative and manages to perfectly balance it all: working as both a heart-wrenching story and thought-provoking, wonderfully written piece that packs an emotional punch. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to /thestackspod. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here. Go Tell It on the Mountain by James BaldwinĬonnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe.Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest (PBS Kids Writers Contest).When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee.

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