Transcendent Kingdom was one of my most anticipated 2020 books, and it certainly did not disappoint!! Yaa Gyasi knows how to write complex characters full of emotions. Gifty is a young PhD candidate in neuroscience, studying addiction and reward. She struggles with imposter syndrome (which many of us know well) and the still-present grief of her past. She is forced to confront this grief head-on when her mother comes to stay with her in the midst of a depressive episode.

Transcendent Kingdom tackles grief, faith, addiction, loss, and finding yourself masterfully with beautiful prose. Alternating between present and past, you see Gifty working through her grief of losing a member of her family and handling the grief of who remains. This is by no means a light story but does have moments of hope throughout.

TW: addiction; overdose; depictions of depression; animal experimentation