While Byron and Benny set aside their differences to bury themselves in the web of their mother’s tale—her tragedies, triumphs, lies and the mystery of a long-lost child—readers will be immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of Eleanor’s kitchen. “My parents were Caribbean-American, and my mother made a legendary Caribbean fruit cake, or black cake,” Wilkerson says. “A few years before I wrote this novel, a younger member of my family asked me for my mother’s black cake recipe, and I was surprised that he would think to ask. This started me musing about what we choose to hold close to our hearts and how we inherit our identities, through food or other cultural markers.” Reminded of the ways both meals and lies can shape an upbringing—who we think we are based on the stories we’ve been told—Black Cake is a journey through Eleanor’s decisions and a family changed forever by them. We spoke to Wilkerson about her debut novel, what she’s reading now and the book she’ll always recommend.
What does the recipe for black cake symbolize for you?
It is a symbol of celebration, Caribbean tradition and family. It’s also the kind of togetherness and storytelling that can emerge when people prepare food together. In Black Cake, the handling of food counts as much as the eating of it.
Untold stories shape people’s lives, both when they are withheld and when they are revealed, you wrote. Why was this a theme you wanted to write about?
I come from a multicultural family where few of us, over the course of three generations, have had quite the same upbringing. Also, I’ve moved quite a bit in my own life. So, I do a lot of thinking about identity, and our concepts of home and family. I am fascinated by how stories that are handed down from one generation to another help us to develop a sense of identity, and how those ideas can shift over time, especially when new stories come to the fore.
Benny was such an intriguing character, through her cycles of loneliness and longing for acceptance. What did you enjoy most about writing her?
I enjoyed writing about the small ways in which Benny, this imposing, sometimes brash woman is, at the core, still the open-hearted and instinctive girl that she always was. She has a visceral reaction to things like color and texture in art and food. At one point, after a very difficult month, the thing that causes Benny to burst into tears is the sight of a certain color.
What do you hope readers take away from your debut novel?
Each reader must take away what they wish from the book. I do hope that they will pick up on the fact that there’s a good deal of love in the characters’ lives, despite everything that happens to them.
What book do you recommend most to friends and family?
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, probably because it’s a multi-generational story that might appeal to a wide range of people. I read it years ago and it remains one of my favorites.
What would you say was the last truly great book that you read?
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton has an unusual structure, a gripping and nuanced story and a few good laugh-out-loud moments.
Is there a book that readers might be surprised to find on your shelf?
South by Ernest Shackleton, based on the diary of this famed polar explorer. It tells the tale of what was, in effect, a failed 1914 expedition, but it is a fascinating story of human resilience.
What books are currently on your To Be Read list?
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho. What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harris. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. Hell of a Book by Jason Mott. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
What are three books are you most looking forward to reading in 2022 and why?
Manifesto: On Never Giving Up by Bernardine Evaristo. I loved her voice in the Booker Prize-winning book, Girl, Woman, Other and I’m curious about her personal reflections as a writer working today. Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka. The story promises an unusual perspective on a serial killer told from the point of view of women whose lives were linked to his. And The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani. It’s about a Tuscan family of artisans with long-held secrets. Sounds lush and intriguing, plus I live in Italy.
What kind of reader were you as a child? Are there any books or characters you love returning to?
I read everything, from the books I could swipe off my parents’ shelves to the children’s books that I would read over and over again. I moved to Jamaica as a child and still have a favorite book from that time: Anancy and Miss Lou by Louise Bennett. The stories center around a lovable rascal named Anancy. The character is based on the folk tales of the West African spider god.
Who is one author you wish more readers knew about?
Louise Erdrich. Actually, she’s a bestselling, prize-winning writer of prose and poetry, but I have friends and family who’ve never read her work. She has a way of pinning down difficult social and political situations, in particular regarding indigenous peoples in America, while telling stories of families and communities with great love and humor. Next, Check out the 110 Best Thriller, Crime and Suspense Novels of All Time
