GHANAIAN AMERICAN AUTHOR YAA GYASI TOOK THE LITERARY WORLD BY STORM WITH HER 2016 HISTORICAL NOVEL “HOMEGOING,” WHERE  EACH CHAPTER PORTRAYS THE LIFE OF A DIFFERENT DESCENDANT OF THE ASANTE WOMAN MAAME.  IT BEGINS WITH TWO HALF-SISTERS WHO HAD WILDLY DIFFERENT FATES:  THE FORMER MARRIES A BRITISH GOVERNOR, WHILST THE LATTER WAS SOLD INTO SLAVERY.
ACCLAIMED FOR ITS AMBITIOUS STRUCTURE:  IT’S DIFFICULT TO SUSTAIN A NOVEL-LENGTH NARRATIVE WHEN YOU MEET EACH CHARACTER FOR ONLY A CHAPTER, BUT GYASI’S USE OF SPECIFIC IMAGERY AND MOTIFS IN HER SYNTAX BOLSTERS HER DEPICTION OF GREATER THEMES, LIKE IDENTITY, COLONIALISM, AND RACE.

ANUJA BREAKS IT ALL DOWN AND TALKS ABOUT WHY THIS BOOK TURNED OUT TO BE SUCH A GREAT BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR HER FROM HER FRIEND.