My daughter recommended this book to me, Black Cake, a novel by Charmaine Wilkerson. What caught her attention was the inclusion of a Hakka character. I rarely find a Hakka character in a novel so I immediately put a hold on the book. Although the focus is not on the Hakka father, his betrayal changes the life and future of his biracial daughter. Her life becomes a intricate web of lies. An audio recording left to her children after her death reveals long buried family secrets.

I couldn’t stop listening to the audio version of Black Cake. This novel spans generations and moves from the Caribbean, to London, and finally California. Many issues run through the book—family betrayal, racial and gender identity, loyalty, love, cultural diaspora, sibling relationships. There are many characters, but the author deftly wraps up their connections in the end in a symbolic black cake. Revealing the secrets the cake brings the family together.

Hakka from the Caribbean may especially appreciate the cultural notes about life of the Chinese in the West Indies. The author cites my Hakka friends, Paula Williams Madison, author of Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China and Jeanette Kong, film maker in the acknowledgements.