Black Cake: The No 2 New York Times Bestseller (Hardback) - Charmaine Wilkerson

THE INSTANT NO. 2 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

**A Grazia Instagram 'IT' book to watch out for**

Everyone wants to discover what they're made of . . . Juggling lives and crossing continents, BLACK CAKE is the extraordinary story of how the inheritance of secrets, betrayal and memories can shape a family for generations

'A story as meaningful as it is delicious. At turns delightfully juicy and then stunningly wise, Black Cake is a winner' TAYLOR JENKINS REID

'A roiling soup of family secrets, big lies, great loves, bright colours and strong smells' NEW YORK TIMES

'The scenes are so well drawn I could almost taste the cake. My heart broke and was put back together. Bravo' NIKKI MAY, author of Wahala
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Eleanor Bennett won't let her own death get in the way of the truth. So when her estranged children - Byron and Benny - reunite for her funeral in California, they discover a puzzling inheritance.

First, a voice recording in which everything Byron and Benny ever knew about their family is upended. Their mother narrates a tumultuous story about a headstrong young woman who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder, a story which cuts right to the heart of the rift that's separated Byron and Benny.

Second, a traditional Caribbean black cake made from a family recipe that Eleanor hopes will heal the wounds of the past.

Can Byron and Benny fulfil their mother's final request to 'share the black cake when the time is right'?

Or will Eleanor's revelations leave them feeling more lost than ever?
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**Soon to be a major drama series for Hulu by Oprah Winfrey, Aaron Kaplan and Marissa Jo Cerar**

'I loved the brilliant writing, the characters and the clever and beautiful way the story melded together. A stunning book' PRIMA, 'BOOK OF THE MONTH'

'A special, beautifully written novel that's as rich and intoxicating as the Jamaican rum cake of its title' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

'An extremely assured debut which pulls in threads and echoes from across the Caribbean diaspora to deliver a rich, complex and really satisfying novel' ALISON FINCH, BBC Radio 4

'I was instantly taken in by this multi-generational tale of identity, family, and the lifelong push and pull of home. This novel has a tremendous heart at its centre, and I felt its beat on every page. What an extraordinary debut' MARY BETH KEANE, author of Ask Again, Yes

About the Author

Charmaine Wilkerson is an Caribbean-American writer who has lived in Jamaica and is based in Italy. A graduate of Barnard College and Stanford University, she is a former journalist whose award-winning short fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies. Black Cake is her first novel. Black Cake is in development as a Hulu original series produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films, Marissa Jo Cerar and Kapital Entertainment.