My dear reader,
have you had the chance to follow Fools Crow to the Backbone of the World — and have you felt how both his personal struggles and the hardships of the Pikuni tribe changed the way you look at the history of the Native Peoples of America?
If you have — or especially if you haven’t — I’m curious to hear what you thought. Feel free to just send me a note and share your experience.
Conquerors, Conquered — and Collaborators
This month, we’re staying with the broader theme of colonialism — from a somewhat familiar, yet still very different angle. So far, we’ve met Caesar, whose story is one of conquest and colonisation. We then looked at the perspective of those conquered, whose way of life is severely threatened. As we already saw in Fools Crow, some among the colonised even facilitate conquest and support the foreign power in order to profit themselves.
In Yaa Gyasi’s novel Homegoing, we dive deeper into the minds and histories of those directly affected by colonialism — as they were the ones being colonised.
Two Sisters, Two Fates
The story begins in Cape Coast Castle, in what is now Ghana, in the mid-18th century. Told in a structure reminiscent of short stories, Homegoing follows the descendants of two sisters who lived very different lives. One sister lives in relative comfort as the wife of a British officer; the other is imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon and traded as a slave to the United States.
To put it in a nutshell, we learn the histories of British colonies in Africa and the history of those who were brought to the United States as slaves.
History, as It Was Lived
As we follow each protagonist for only a short part of their life, the broader theme emerges slowly and naturally. Historical events and their impact are shown rather than told. Sometimes they are loud; other times, they fade into the background — depending on the individual’s experience.
As we move from one generation to the next, we see how the past continues to echo — not just through history books, but in families, in bodies, in neglect, in violence, in silences. Trauma becomes inheritance, even when the exact memories are lost.
History is almost never explained explicitly, but blends into the world each protagonist inhabits. To me, Yaa Gyasi focuses on the individual’s experience of the time they were born into and lets the reader explore the period for themselves. In Homegoing, questions of identity and belonging quietly take root. Some characters are disconnected from their pasts and must invent themselves in unfamiliar worlds. Others fight to hold on to cultural memory, even as it slips through generations. Yaa Gyasi’s novel doesn’t offer clear answers — only the quiet ache of what’s been lost, and the strength that still remains.
Exploring without the Omniscient Narrator
I must admit that my knowledge of British rule in Africa and the history of slavery in the US — both before and after the Civil War — is a bit hazy. But I believe the historical realities, and the overarching themes of uprooting, exploitation, and centuries of discrimination, are vividly present in Homegoing. They don’t need additional facts and figures to be felt.
That’s why I’ve decided to skip the additional materials in this newsletter. Let the story guide you. Experience the world like the protagonists do — without an omniscient narrator explaining the political decisions and historical forces of the time. And if something catches your curiosity, feel free to dig in.
If Yaa Gyasi’s novel sparked thoughts, memories, or questions — I’d love to hear from you. Just reach out via mail or owl.
If you’d like to help keep the lantern lit on this journey through time and story, feel free to visit my Contribee page. Think of it as dropping a coin in the storyteller’s hat — no pressure, just a small gesture of appreciation.
And if you know someone who loves to get lost in good stories and explore the world through books, feel free to pass this newsletter along. There’s always room for a fellow traveler.
See you at the next campfire,
Kalypso
