These are NOT yams. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi* isn't a foodie read per se. But it was a book that I devoured in two sittings and it reminded me that I have always wanted to research and understand the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. from penguinrandomhouse.com On the Page This is a wildly impressive undertaking for a debut novel. It's beautiful, visceral; it makes you want to squeeze your eyes shut against the ugliness while simultaneously compelling you to keep turning pages. If I had to distill it into one sentence, I would say: Each chapter illustrates the impact of slavery with a complicated relationship between slavers and slaves. And - surprise! - it's not just divided by white and black. This is an incredible, horrific look at history, colonialism, and slavery from Ghana to America, spanning nearly 300 years and many, many generations. Ghana in the 1700s. Half-sisters, Effia and Esi, are born to different mothers in different village...