Next Chapter Books Launches Book Club Series

A discussion of Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson will kick off Next Chapter Books’ new book club series on Wednesday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Alger Theater, 16451 E. Warren. Here’s a sneak peek at Black Cake from Goodreads:

We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake made from a family recipe with a long history and a voice recording.

Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?

Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is about how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

If you can’t make it this time, keep up with future offerings through their website, Instagram account, or Facebook page.

And check out their new promotional video here, created with input from neighborhood leaders and the expertise of residents Nicky Cheese and Mark Rutherford.