Black Cake

As children, siblings Byron and Bennie are close but they grow apart as they get older. Bennie becomes estranged from her parents, too, after her parents express their dismay about Bennie's relationship choices.

And then Byron and Bennie's father dies. It isn't many years later that Byron and Bennie's mother dies, too. When their mother dies, the two learn that their mother has left them a recording, and the recording reveals the surprising secrets their mother kept about her life.

The Caribbean setting of their mother's youth was fresh and fascinating. I enjoyed learning about the complex lives of the many diverse characters in the story. The black cake served as a lovely metaphor for the lives and experiences of the characters.