I loved Yaa Gyasi’s second novel, “Transcendent Kingdom,” almost as much as her best-selling debut, “Homegoing.” “Transcendent Kingdom” is more of a literary fiction that is lighter than “Homegoing” about the roots and effects of slavery.

Her latest offering was a deep, multi-level story of Gifty, a Ghanaian woman born to a family of four that is slowly whittled down to just her. The story begins with her father and mother in Ghana struggling to conceive. When her mother does finally conceive, she decides that she cannot raise a child in Ghana and is chosen through a lottery to receive a visa to come to the United States where she moves her family to Huntsville, Alabama.

The book revolves around every day questions and societal problems that many deal with today, but are actually taboos that most of us rarely talk about or divulge. Specifically, some of the topics covered include abandonment and divorce, drug addiction, mental illness, loss, grief, religion, and faith. There is a wealth of different conditions that come together and form the whole of a person and many of the conditions are related or interconnected. These various issues have life-changing effects that could do lasting damage if they are ignored or avoided.

I thought there were some great conversation starters that could be used to discussed with friends, family or loved ones about some of this pressing issues. I definitely recommend this book!

Get a copy of “Transcendent Kingdom” by Yaa Gyasi on Amazon here.