Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Book Review

For those of you that have read Transcendent Kingdom, I would love to know your thoughts! My feelings are very mixed on this one.
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⁣The story follows the life and work of Gifty, a Ghanian immigrant who moved to Alabama with her family as a young girl. After a difficult childhood in which Gifty was forced to confront the realities of addiction and depression through her brother and mother, she has dedicated her career in neuroscience to studying reward-seeking behavior in the hopes of finding a cure for addictive tendencies. The storyline alternates between Gifty’s present and stories of her upbringing.
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⁣While the book is beautifully written, I struggled to stay engaged. I found the beginning of the book a bit mundane, despite the excellent character development. Perhaps there just wasn’t enough happening for my taste. I also think there were far too many flashbacks and not enough focus on Gifty’s present. Furthermore, at times I found it difficult to tell if certain moments were flashbacks or taking place in the present.
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⁣The parts of the book that interested me the most were Gifty’s attempts to reconcile her religious beliefs with her scientific work. While I felt there was a bit too much focus on religion (for my personal taste), I did find some of the questions relatable that Gifty and her brother asked as they became skeptical of their faith. For example, at one point, Nana, Gifty’s brother, asks their trusted pastor about the fate of people in remote areas of the world who never have the opportunity to learn about Christ (and thus become saved). Without hesitation, the pastor says, “God would have found a way for them to hear the good news… but hypothetically, they’re going to hell.” This very much reminded me of my own journey with Christianity. Growing up going to church, that particular question was one I often asked… I typically received a similar response and I just could never get on board with that line of thinking. ⁣
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⁣Despite my critiques, the book offers a poignant look at addiction and how it affects not only the addict, but those around them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5