Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Transcendent Kingdom
Transcendent Kingdom | Yaa Gyasi
Yaa Gyasi's stunning follow-up to her acclaimed national bestseller Homegoing is a powerful, raw, intimate, deeply layered novel about a Ghanaian family in Alabama. Gifty is a fifth year candidate in neuroscience at Stanford University's School of Medicine studying reward-seeking behaviour in mice and the neural circuits of depression and addiction. Her brother, Nana, was a gifted high school athlete who died of a heroin overdose after a knee injury left him hooked on OxyContin. Her suicidal mother is living in her bed. Gifty is determined to discover the scientific basis for the suffering she sees all around her. But even as she turns to hard science to unlock the mystery of her family's loss, she finds herself hungering for her childhood faith, and grappling with the evangelical church in which she was raised, whose promise of salvation remains as tantalizing as it is elusive. Transcendent Kingdom is a deeply moving portrait of a family of Ghanaian immigrants ravaged by depression and addiction and grief--a novel about faith, science, religion, love. Exquisitely written and emotionally searing, this is an exceptionally powerful follow-up to Gyasi's phenomenal debut.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
review
Roary47
post image
Mehso-so

I read this for #FoodandLit January pick for Ghana 🇬🇭 I also used this for #ReadtheUSA Alabama. This story is about a daughter who is working on a neuroscience project with mice. Through the course of the story she loses people that are close to her. This is the fuel and inspiration she has to finish her studies on these mice. It is a very emotional story with a lot of downs. However, I really enjoyed the approach on some difficult topics.

Catsandbooks ❤️🇬🇭 1mo
17 likes1 comment
review
mjtwo
post image
Pickpick

27 Nov-13 Dec 23
Well-written but perhaps my expectations were too high. I did not love Gifty - she was remote and closed off. But perhaps that was the point? Surviving a loved one‘s addiction and inevitable death is devastating. I was also frustrated by the lack of action taken to help Nana, which probably says something about me and my inexperience of dealing with OxyContin addiction. The immigrant experience must make it even more difficult.

review
andrew61
post image
Pickpick

A remarkably told story about how both parental depression and sibling drug addiction impact on a family and particularly one child/adult. Gifts is a research scientist living a curiously insular life experimenting on mice + exploring relationships. When her mother's depression means she has to let her move into her flat this allows the narrative to explore the troubled past. I found it an incredibly sad tale but told with insight and empathy

youneverarrived I loved this book. Great review! 4mo
andrew61 @youneverarrived yes, and a complete change from homegoing . Look forward to what she does next. 4mo
41 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Kazzie
Pickpick

I had mixed emotions about this book. Beautifully written and researched. But I found parts of it challenging. The narrator grows, but I wanted more of this transformation, this softening of her towards others, including her mother. The relationship between the siblings is real and sad and lovely

review
Julsmarshall
post image
Pickpick

This was a wonderful, thoughtful story about family, religion, science, addiction, and mental health. Gyasi is a brilliant writer and her prose and tender touch took my breath away. #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks #Pantone2023 #crystalrose @Clwojick

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 1y
LaraReads Yes! Such a good one! 💕 1y
Clwojick Great match! 💖 1y
52 likes3 comments
review
Clare-Dragonfly
post image
Mehso-so

I waffled between a pick and a so-so for this book. It‘s well-written with a powerful, meaningful story, but it‘s way more character than plot and didn‘t really grab me. I felt like the epilogue was a little pasted on—I wasn‘t sure whether to believe it, like it was the product of Gifty‘s imagination rather than her actual life, but I wasn‘t in deep enough to feel much about it. I did appreciate that Gifty‘s sexuality wasn‘t a source of angst.

lirahlu Her first book "Homecoming" was sooooo good. The premise of this one seemed meh to me. 2y
Clare-Dragonfly @lirahlu Yeah, I really liked Homegoing! I admit I didn‘t know anything about this book going in. I just saw Yaa Gyasi in the #littlefreelibrary and went “gimme” 😆 2y
33 likes2 comments
review
i.z.booknook
post image
Pickpick

This book felt really original. I think it might be the almost stream-of-consciousness writing style but also the interwoven timeline felt right, like things from the past were revealed at just the right time. This book deals with a lot; racism, addiction, depression. I especially liked the exploration of Gifty reconciling her religious and scientific lives.

28 likes1 stack add
quote
sharmeen_sifar
post image

All you have to do is watch a child ride her bike directly into a brick wall or jump from the tallest branch of a sycamore tree to know that we humans are reckless with our bodies, reckless with our lives, for no other reason than that we want to know what would happen, what it might feel like to brush up against death, to run right up to the edge of our lives, which is, in some ways, to live fully.

blurb
Booksandtea23
post image

I really loved “Homegoing” so I‘m excited to start this book 🦋

blurb
Deblovestoread
post image

#BookReport #WeeklyForecast

A bunch of diverse great books this last week with Transcendent Kingdom being the favorite. I hope to finish both buddy reads early this week and then concentrate on my 3 barely started current reads.

Hour of the Witch was my 2nd for #AuthorAMonth and HHWGITD is my June #DoubleSpin.

squirrelbrain I adored Love After Love, and I bet it‘s fab on audio! I‘m hoping to start Three next weekend. 2y
Cinfhen I LOVED both Three and Love After Love and I listened to both on audio @squirrelbrain sooo good!!! Great reads @Kdgordon88 😍 2y
Cinfhen I also enjoyed 2y
TheAromaofBooks Looking fantastic!!! 2y
48 likes1 stack add5 comments
blurb
Clare-Dragonfly
post image

I made out like a bandit at the #littlefreelibrary!

review
SanjanaGhosh
post image
Mehso-so

✨️✨️

review
Cazxxx
post image
Pickpick

I often struggle when a book doesn‘t have a strong plot to keep me engrossed but this was so well written that wasn‘t the case. Reads like a memoir and covers lots of topics including science and religion, I was surprised how much I enjoyed this one

review
Kitta
post image
Pickpick

Beautiful novel.

It‘s the story of Gifty; her brothers addiction, her scientific research to understand him, and her relationship with God. The combination of religion and science is one that fascinates me. I grew up without religion but many of my questions are also asked by Gifty.

The science is accurate, something I appreciate when an author takes the time to do. Took me a long time to read, it reminded me of those I‘ve lost to addiction. ❤️

14 likes1 stack add
blurb
Kitta
post image

Thanks for the tag @EadieB and @Eggs

#wondorouswednesday

1. Wordle and quordle!

2. Planting and cleaning. Starting something anew.

3. Currently reading Transcendent Kingdom and loving it. As a scientist I relate a lot to the main character. The science is pretty accurate from what I can tell too, although it‘s a different field from me.

Eggs Agree #2! Thanks for playing 🌼 2y
4 likes1 comment
review
SweetP1967
post image
Pickpick

This was a really powerful novel, able to tackle topics that can be difficult to handle in a meaningful, nuanced way. Now one of my favorite authors.

review
Leelee.reads
post image
Pickpick

I think Gyasi is an incredible writer. This novel is as amazing as Homegoing, but totally different. This reads like memoir and there isn‘t really anything in the way of plot. More of reflections, questions and reminiscing. I don‘t think it would be everyone‘s cup of tea (given the lack of driving plot line) but I loved it.

blurb
Kitta
post image

Does anyone else‘s cat do this? Every time!

I wanted to read that! 😸

#littenkitten #catsoflitsy

Bklover Definitely!! 2y
20 likes1 comment
blurb
LiteraryinLawrence
post image

My first few days of vacation from work have involved visiting 2 indie bookstores! Here is my haul. 💗 I think Greenwich Park is one I‘d typically borrow from the library but I was in a book-buying mood. The other 4 I‘ve heard really good things about. I‘m starting with the tagged one!

BekaReid @LiteraryinLawrence I look forward to hearing your thoughts on 2y
100 likes1 comment
blurb
Kitta
post image

Nala looked like she was pondering my current read so I had to take a picture 😸 I loved homegoing and as a scientist I‘m very excited for this one.

17 likes1 stack add
blurb
Julsmarshall
post image
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 2y
42 likes1 comment
review
Ncostell
post image
Pickpick

I was blown away by Yaa Gyasi‘s ability to so beautifully write about reconciling religion and science, mental health issues and addiction, racism and immigration within 266 pages. She is such an incredible talent and I can‘t wait to read whatever she writes next.

blurb
Santie
post image

💔

quote
notreallyelaine

Nothing teaches you the true nature of your friendships like a sudden death, worse still, a death that‘s shrouded in shame.

blurb
Nikki_E
post image

Best book of April 2021

32 likes2 stack adds
review
Hannah_11
post image
Pickpick

I have so much love for this! When people ask “what‘s your book about?” I found it impossible to explain in a few words. There are so many themes and layers to this novel it could be about religion, race, addiction, culture, science..I could go on and on. Fundamentally it is a beautifully written book about what it‘s like to be human 💜 #pick #transcendentkingdom

review
Oryx
post image
Pickpick

Thought this was was superb. I loved it. I loved that main character was a scientist, and the book's exploration of science, religion, family, guilt, love, addiction.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks On my shelf! I‘ve heard great things! 2y
squirrelbrain I loved this one too! ❤️ 2y
Soubhiville I loved it too. I think this is my favorite version of the cover, too. 2y
DivineDiana On my shelf too! It will be read in 2022! 2y
63 likes4 comments
review
Rachel.Rencher
post image
Pickpick

I finished this one today, too. I'm not going to lie, it hit a little close to home as I grew up with an older sister who struggled with addiction. I always felt so alone in my feelings toward it, but this book changed that for me.

Erin.Elizabeth10 @Rachel.Rencher I read this one this year too! 2y
93 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
Jemgirl2014
Mehso-so

This book was on my shelf for a little over a year and it could have stayed there a little longer. A bit too philosophical for my taste. I really disliked my philosophy course when I was in college. I'm glad I'm done with this book so I can move on to something else. Praise the Lord.

blurb
Jemgirl2014
post image

2 hours read. #EndofYearReadathon #WapitUpReadathon 2×15×2 =60pts + 39 words found ×10=390
Total points= 450
#2021Wintergames #TeamMistletoeManiacs @Clwojick

review
IuliaC
post image
Pickpick

Rarely do I finish a book and feel like I don‘t need to say a word about it, in a good way, to just interiorize the narrator's confession. The emotions it triggers are simply overwhelming. It is indeed a story about the harsh reality of immigrant life, opioid addiction and depression, love and loss, about turning to science for answers, but most of all it seems to be an exploration of the extent to which faith is able to ensure transcendence.

S3V3N I enjoyed this one too! 2y
IuliaC @BeaG me too 👍I found out about it here on Litsy 😊 2y
61 likes2 stack adds2 comments
quote
IuliaC
post image

"I had to try to understand, to extrapolate from that limited understanding in order to apply it to those of us who made up the species Homo Sapiens, the most complex animal, the only animal who believed he had transcended his Kingdom... That belief, that transcendence, was held within this organ [the brain] itself. Infinite, unknowable, soulful, perhaps even magical. I had traded the Pentecostalism of my childhood for this new religion [science]"

mackelie I really want to read this book! It‘s on my TBR! 2y
IuliaC @mackelie It's been on my TBR for a long time and I've just started it 😃 I like it so far! 2y
BarbaraBB I so loved this one. 2y
IuliaC @BarbaraBB 👍 I'm about halfway through it and love it! 2y
61 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
Rachel.Rencher
post image

Next up 🤓

BarbaraBB Enjoy! 2y
Libby1 I loved this book. 2y
87 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
MeganLindell
post image
Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Tackles a lot and is so well-written. Religion, race, addiction, depression, science — could be messy but isn‘t. As others have noted, very different from Homegoing.

review
bekakins
post image
Pickpick

Beautifully written, but very melancholy. Looking forward to discussing this one at my book club next week!

review
Erin.Elizabeth10
post image
Pickpick

So good! Such a moving and powerful story filled with detail, emotion, and meaning. Loved it!!

review
Lesliereads
post image
Pickpick

I realize, now, that when I began reading this, I may have been in need of a “warmer” book, or one that makes more beautiful use of language. Gifty‘s sorrow and loneliness and grief are so palpable, even while she tells her sensitive story from a kind of clinical distance. The questions that she poses - about God and science and personal agency and religion and faith - are lingering and mighty. 4/5 ⭐️s.

blurb
bibliobliss
post image

>> 𝙶𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚘𝚘𝚗, 𝙻𝚒𝚝𝚜𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚜 🙂🍁
𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚊𝚢! 𝙶𝚘 𝙶𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚜 (𝙵𝙻) & 𝚃𝚒𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 (𝙰𝚄) 🏈

I hope to spend some more time with the tagged book this afternoon/evening during my downtime. I am halfway thru & while it prob won‘t be a fave of the year, it‘s good on audio & holding my interest.

Wʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴇᴇᴋᴇɴᴅ?

#currentlyreading

LatrelWhite Yes Gators & AU😉 3y
LatrelWhite The Silent Patient! 3y
See All 8 Comments
bibliobliss @LatrelWhite it‘s on my tbr. Are you enjoying it? 3y
LatrelWhite @bibliobliss Yes, I had the ebook a while but I loved “The Maidens” oh yeah by the way… I‘m from Huntsville, AL (Yaa Gyasi) (edited) 3y
bibliobliss @LatrelWhite Small world! I‘m in Alabama, a few hours from Huntsville. It‘s neat that this talented bestselling author is from this state!! 3y
LatrelWhite @bibliobliss Yes definitely small world! So proud of her.☺️ 3y
48 likes8 comments
blurb
vivastory
post image

True to my word, I have to say this is one of the most extreme things I have done for books in awhile.

kspenmoll 🙌🏻🙌🏻 3y
KathyWheeler Transcendent Kingdom was just beautiful. I loved it. 3y
Jas16 I thought about you when they winner was announced. 3y
See All 16 Comments
JamieArc I need to move this up my TBR. 3y
Laughterhp I own this one but haven‘t read it yet! 3y
Ruthiella The things we‘ll do for our devotion to literature. I‘m sure Yaa Gyasi appreciates it! 👏👏👏 3y
Megabooks Oh Scott! That‘s commitment. I was a bit surprised by Piranesi as well. I liked it but preferred TK as well. 3y
Hooked_on_books I love Homegoing like you love TK, so I have mad respect for Gyasi and want to see her recognized as well. Kudos for putting your beard on the line! 3y
Kimberlone Kudos on the commitment! 3y
squirrelbrain Woah, that‘s commitment! 3y
marleed That‘s great! 3y
LeahBergen Hahaha! You look great! 3y
rwmg Aaaah but did you inform the jury so they knew what the consequences of a wrong decision would be? 3y
youneverarrived I love that you actually did it 😂 3y
BarbaraBB You did it! I remember that post. Looking good!! 3y
Reggie Lolol, looking smooth, buddy! Sorry bout the loss. 3y
74 likes16 comments
blurb
Oryx
post image

Finally got my penguin bookmarks free book @squirrelbrain

The book I originally picked never arrived, so I got to pick from a new selection, and they had this one. ❤️

Soubhiville I love this cover. 3y
Caroline2 Awesome! I‘m dying to read this book. I absolutely loved her first one. 👍 3y
squirrelbrain Oh great book! Probably a good thing that you ended up having to choose again! 😁 3y
Oryx @squirrelbrain it was. I remember the first one was the best of a bad bunch, and I wasn't that interested in it. Can't remember what it was, but it worked out well! 3y
57 likes4 comments
review
callielafleur
post image
Pickpick

I have now read all of the Women's Prize shortlisted books for this year, and this one was as excellent as the rest. TW for substance abuse.

blurb
BooksMcD
post image

A nice day to start a new book❣️

review
staci.reads
post image
Pickpick

@Hestapleton Thanks for choosing this amazing book for your #LMPBC selection! This is a powerful book with gorgeous writing. I was blown away by how smart and vulnerable the writing is. I loved it, and I loved reading your thoughts on it!
Sending it your way soon @Mynameisacolour ! @LiteraryinLawrence #groupv

65 likes1 stack add
quote
behudd
post image

“Whenever I think of my mother, I picture a queen-sized bed with her lying in it, a practiced stillness filling the room.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

review
AlysonCB
post image
Panpan

I feel guilty for 'panning' this considering the subject and the fact that Homegoing was one of my favourites last year, but I just didn't like it. Main character, Gifty, didn't grow until the last 2 pages when the whole of her future was wedged in with no explanation. Just felt like rambling pages of religion vs science, with what could have been a very interesting story about loss, depression, religon, race and addiction badly woven within it.

StellaB I didn‘t get very far with this either. 3y
46 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
DanaManiac
post image
Pickpick

5 ⭐️

I can‘t find enough words to explain Joe much I love this book.