In the interview Wilkerson talks about place and the experience of being in a place, how our legacy can come to us through stories, shifting concepts of home and identity, the power of story and food as a part of culture.īlack cake is central to the novel alongside expressing heritage through food. The Brooklyn Caribbean Lit Fest works to shine a light on Caribbean stories, such as Black Cake. I like this interview which is co-presented with The Center for Fiction and the Brooklyn Caribbean Lit Fest. There are many interviews with Charmaine Wilkerson to chose from. I recommend reading the book before the guide. Note that this guide, like all of the guides, may contain spoilers.
With so many potential points of connection woven into the novel, the reader can chose the threads that they are most interested in unraveling, whether your interest may be exploring the impact of secrets, the many layers of adoption, the feeling of shame or any other connections that you make. Regardless, I enjoyed how the storyline unfolded as the reader learned Ma’s backstory right along with Benny and Byron. For instance we heard a lot about how Byron felt as a black man in oceanic sciences and in life and I would have preferred to see more depth in a few scenes rather than a dusting of interactions here and there. Off the island, there were numerous places where I wanted to see the scene rather than be told how the characters were feeling, especially Byron’s backstory. I especially enjoyed Covey’s story on the Caribbean island- her swimming and surfing and making the black cake with Pearl all were very vibrant and memorable. I loved the flow and layering of the different perspectives through short chapters in Black Cake.
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