Transcendent Kingdom

Contrasts. I keep thinking about the powerful contrasts that Yaa Gyasi offers in her novel titled, Transcendent Kingdom. Science and religion are contrasted as protagonist Gifty looks to her work as a neuroscientist to answer life’s questions as she also recalls her childhood in the evangelical church. We see the different worlds of Ghana and Alabama. We feel the family pain when shortly after Gifty’s brother, Nana, finds comfort playing high school basketball, he becomes addicted to OxyContin following an injury. There’s contrast between Gifty and her mother, both coping with loss in their own ways. Gyasi’s prose will appeal to those readers who enjoy literary fiction, and her insights into the immigrant experience and into the wide range of human behavior will keep readers like me thinking about life long after we finish reading this finely written novel. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Transcendent Kingdom from amazon.com.