Exceptionally read audio book

The storyline is so relatable and covers so many aspects of life that I have seen myself - from mental health, to religion and to the experience of being a child of the diaspora. It is all tenderly handled and so beautifully read. The voices of each character are probably the best I've heard in any audio book so far and not distracting at all (as sometimes they can be on audio books). This is a beautiful book and bought me to tears at points as I listened throughout my day. It's such a gift when someone can articulate your experiences through story and this book does just that.

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Stunning

Truly stunning novel; relatable, poignant and heartbreaking. I found it hard to put it down.

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Best book I’ve read this year

This book is so cathartic for anyone who has struggled with their Christian faith and the church

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Beautifully performed

Loved it. And the excellent performance made it all the more encapsulating. Couldn't believe it was the same actor reading all the characters. Sad and emotional in places and hits on many themes, immigration, racism, science vs religion, addiction and ultimately is about the main characters journey through family trauma to personal acheivement. Most importantly the main character and her family feel so real and flawed and lovable.

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Just fine

I was so excited to read this book as I was absolutely mesmerised by Homegoing. Unfortunately this story die not hold the same captivating story telling nor the deep characterisation.

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Would give this book 10 stars if I could

One of the best books I’ve listened to. Story and performance. Can’t wait for Yaa Gyasi’s next book to come out…

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fascinating and heart breaking

a family tale of loss and identity. really interesting. voice actor did a great job.

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Absolutely incredible read

A must read for everyone. Yaa Gyasi is an astonishing author who weaved words like a detailed oriented locksmith

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insightful and interesting book

engrossing story from the beginning. the characters are so believable.; you might need a tissue to hand .

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Beautiful, thought-provoking, educational

My first genre-love is fantasy. I always liked the idea of being able to reflect upon society through this lens and explore and think about uncomfortable topics without the brashness of reality.

Transcendental Kingdom is not fantasy. It deals with triggering topics head on - mental illness within the black community, living as an immigrant (from Africa to the American South), familial loss, addiction, single parent hood and also the stress that comes with ideas about religion and science and questions why the two are perceived as being on opposite ends of a spectrum. It also explores the nature of complex mother-daughter relationships.

You might think that it's a lot for one book. You might also think it's bound to be gritty, or urban. It's not. It's not romanticised either. How? Well, the story is a personal, even intimate one, following Gifty as she studies neuroscience at Stanford School of Medicine, exploring the nature of reward seeking behaviour and addiction. Her wandering mind takes us through her life by the most intricate route - the writer has the most wonderful way of weaving flashbacks into the narrative, making time changes fluid and natural. Gifty's circumstances and mind are unique but her experiences are universal, poignantly expressed and deeply relatable. The book is like those renaissance pictures that you look at and appreciate in one spot but as you stand back and take time to study the whole picture, you realise just how detailed and profound it really is.

Littered throughout the story are interesting studies and theories that will inspire you to do more reading on the topics, should the themes explored interest you. Gifty's handling of taboo is made accessible to all with her curious mind - aware of all social convention and restriction - but still full of wonder anyway. For Audible, Bahni Turpin did an amazing job of capturing the purity of Gifty's mind, the innocence of her questioning that remains even after the changes she experiences growing up are revealed layer by layer.

This is not action based or gritty and dark, but it did hit hard, sneaking up on my emotions and catching me off guard. This book made me shed a tear or two in the last quarter. Easily one of the best reads of 2020 for me.

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6 people found this helpful