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A young woman caught up in the 1700's slave trade of what is now Ghana has two daughters who never knew each other. One of them is shipped overseas to become a slave on an American plantation. The other one marries a British colonial officer and lives a life of relative ease. This novel follows the women's descendants through modern times as they struggle with the corrupt systems that upheld slavery and perpetuate injustice and suffering long after slavery itself is no longer practiced.

Yaa Gyasi keeps the story moving, stopping to tell a story about each generation on their own side of the Atlantic. If I have a complaint about this book, it's that I wanted more from each of those generational check-ins. I wanted to spend more time with those people. It felt like this could have been a beloved book series, with an eagerly awaited last installment with the present generation. As it is, the final modern day story felt a little bit rushed to me. But it's a deep story, and a beautifully written family epic. Highly recommend.