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A review by lady_wira
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
5.0
Transcendent Kingdom follows the story of an immigrant family from Ghana.
Gifty -the protagonist of the story- is in search of understanding. She seeks to know why life is the way it is. To her, science bears answers if one goes searching, so, she dives head first in attempts to understand addiction.
Hers is a small family of four. The turmoils of striving for the American dream drive her parents apart and her father (the Chin Chin man) moves back to Ghana, leaving a heartbroken woman to raise their two children -Gifty and Nana.
Nana is the apple of the community, the proverbial son every parent would be proud of. But Nana bears struggles he cannot talk about. Slowly he falls into the pit of drug addiction and eventually commits suicide. The pain of his loss drives the mom to seek comfort in religion, the Chin Chin man falls on traditions and customs and Gifty goes to science to try to understand whether it could have been avoided.
Excerpts:
We read the bible how we want to read it. It doesn't change but we do.
What's the point of all of this ? is a question that separates humans from other animals. Our curiosity around this issue has sparked everything from science to literature to philosophy to religion. When the answer to the question is "Because God deemed it so, " we might feel comforted. But what if the answer to this question is " I don't know," or worse still, "Nothing"?
There is no living thing on God's Earth that doesn't come to know pain sometime.
Yaa Gyasi does an amazing job in developing all characters and portraying the challenges encountered by immigrants, the struggle of searching for greener pastures, and missing the comfort of home while raising children. 288 pages that will keep you glued and guarantee a few thought-provoking issues.
Gifty's journey throughout this book felt like a sob story. But her resilience and bravery came out in the end. I felt like I was the friend she needed, the listening ear and subtle shoulder pat 'You got this!'. Seeing her challenges opened my eyes to the impact of upbringing. They deserved present parents, but as is with life..... It goes on.
A few questions lingered at the end. How does society react to the face of depression and suicide? Is it worthwhile to leave your native country in search of better? If what you pictured as better differs from reality then what? Is it ego to stay and shame to return home? What provides comfort for you in times of distress religion or science? How important are traditions and customs in today's world?
Gifty -the protagonist of the story- is in search of understanding. She seeks to know why life is the way it is. To her, science bears answers if one goes searching, so, she dives head first in attempts to understand addiction.
Hers is a small family of four. The turmoils of striving for the American dream drive her parents apart and her father (the Chin Chin man) moves back to Ghana, leaving a heartbroken woman to raise their two children -Gifty and Nana.
Nana is the apple of the community, the proverbial son every parent would be proud of. But Nana bears struggles he cannot talk about. Slowly he falls into the pit of drug addiction and eventually commits suicide. The pain of his loss drives the mom to seek comfort in religion, the Chin Chin man falls on traditions and customs and Gifty goes to science to try to understand whether it could have been avoided.
Excerpts:
We read the bible how we want to read it. It doesn't change but we do.
What's the point of all of this ? is a question that separates humans from other animals. Our curiosity around this issue has sparked everything from science to literature to philosophy to religion. When the answer to the question is "Because God deemed it so, " we might feel comforted. But what if the answer to this question is " I don't know," or worse still, "Nothing"?
There is no living thing on God's Earth that doesn't come to know pain sometime.
Yaa Gyasi does an amazing job in developing all characters and portraying the challenges encountered by immigrants, the struggle of searching for greener pastures, and missing the comfort of home while raising children. 288 pages that will keep you glued and guarantee a few thought-provoking issues.
Gifty's journey throughout this book felt like a sob story. But her resilience and bravery came out in the end. I felt like I was the friend she needed, the listening ear and subtle shoulder pat 'You got this!'. Seeing her challenges opened my eyes to the impact of upbringing. They deserved present parents, but as is with life..... It goes on.
A few questions lingered at the end. How does society react to the face of depression and suicide? Is it worthwhile to leave your native country in search of better? If what you pictured as better differs from reality then what? Is it ego to stay and shame to return home? What provides comfort for you in times of distress religion or science? How important are traditions and customs in today's world?