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Overview
Homegoing is Ghanaian-American writer Yaa Gyasi’s 2016 historical fiction novel spanning seven generations of two families linked by one person
. Through the stories of each family member, Homegoing portrays the legacy of slavery that lingers for both the perpetrators and the enslaved, as well as the impact of institutional racism on the descendants of enslaved people. From the early days of the slave trade through the Civil War, Jazz Age, and modern day, Homegoing ultimately explores how heritage affects identity, how trauma reverberates across generations, and what going home truly means. Gyasi’s inspiration for the book came from a trip she took in 2009 to Ghana, which was the first time she returned there since she left with her family as an infant.
