A straight-from-the-shoulder writer, writing about the troubled problems of this troubled earth with an illuminating intensity that should influence for the better all who ponder on the things books say

Powerful . . . I wish I could press this book into the hands of every American - actually, every human.

Edgy and provocative . . . entertainingly satirical

A classic . . . Take the words out of the 1950s, when they were published, and they could apply to the women in pink hats, the scientists, the Black Lives Matter activists, the climate-change believers and the LGBTQ-rights supporters who have flooded the streets of Washington this year

A classic ... In a divided America, James Baldwin's fiery critiques reverberate anew

Cemented his reputation as a cultural seer ... Notes of a Native Son endures as his defining work, and his greatest

Powerful...admirable

It's hard to believe it is 25 years since it was first published, but its freshness, its anger and its disciplined, taut prose have grown more admirable in the intervening years... Atwood's novel was an ingenious enterprise that showed, with out hysteria, the real dangers to women of closing their eyes to patriarchal oppression

Turned 25 this year and...worth re-reading. As you grow, such books grow with you

Fiercely political and bleak, yet witting and wise...this novel seems ever more vital in the present day

The mother of all feminist dystopian novels.

The novel satirises the strain of evangelical puritanism in American culture and the objectification and control of women’s bodies. It is more broadly a contemporary myth of despotic power, and how such power deforms those who are subjected to it.

It's mesmerising, compelling and considered one of her best.

One of Atwood’s finest pieces of work serves as a great reminder of what humanity is capable of.

Margaret Atwood is a wry and perceptive observer of society as well as an original storyteller

Brilliantly conceived and executed, this powerful evocation of twenty-first century America gives full rein to Margaret Atwood’s devastating irony, wit and astute perception

This is a novel pervaded by violence, sex, terror, but also by contemplation, analysis and – occasionally – by hope… Atwood shockingly reveals what we could be capable of.

Every page is honest, brave and delightful

A powerful read

A funny, emotional, brilliantly observed story

It's one of those rare books with almost universal appeal: it will make you laugh, cry and break your heart

It wreaks emotional havoc . . . To finish it with a firm resolve to be a better person - well, you can't ask much more of any book than that

When the kids have finished with this, the adults will want to read it. Everybody should

A bold tale of slavery for a new 'Roots' generation

Rich, epic. . . Each chapter is tightly plotted, and there are suspenseful, even spectacular climaxes

Rarely does a grand, sweeping epic plumb interior lives so thoroughly. Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing is a marvel

Terrific

Spectacular

Homegoing is stunning - a truly heartbreaking work of literary genius

This is, hand on heart, a completely brilliant novel...a brilliant debut. If this isn't shortlisted for some prizes next year, I'll be disappointed

Encompassing events major and minor, but skilfully skipping the civil war, it humanises big issues by giving us unforgettable characters. It could not be more relevant or needed

Gyasi imbues indigenous life with richness and dignity, in a style that owes something - though by no means everything - to Chinua Achebe...it serves as the engine for a powerful message

A future classic and a novel that you'll want to pass on to everyone you know...the real deal...2017 is set to be the year of Homegoing

While the issues she wrestles with are heavy, her writing is a joy....Now, more than ever, we need books like this one

Hugely courageous and really important

Homegoing is remarkable...the writing at the end of the book is every bit as vital as that at the start...she has produced a contemporary classic - one you'll actually want to read

An epic debut novel

Intriguing debut...a noble enterprise

Brilliant

Vivid and ambitious debut

Toni Morrison's Beloved spoke to a generation. Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing will do the same for a new one. In a word, it's brilliant. And not just "for a debut"

The powerful narrative of Yaa Gyasi's accomplished first novel do more than reveal the history that still troubles the United States. They make that history immediate

A fascinating view of the history of slavery...Gyasi gives voice to suppressed stories, and that feels hugely important....it certainly deserves our attention

A searing indictment of racism and a very impressive debut

Ambitious, superbly written, important - don't miss this one

It is written with such maturity and beauty, that it is hard to believe it is Gyasi's first published work...Gyasi has created a masterpiece which is educational, highly ambitious and extremely touching. Her writing style is raw and intense and leaves one desperate to see what work she will produce in the future

Extraordinary

The hype is justified

This unputdownable tale spans three continents and seven generations to tell the story of a family and of America itself

A bold and ambitious debut...full of fire and youthful confidence

Here is a book to help us remember. It is well worth its weight

Hands down the best book I've read in months...I can't wait to see what Yaa Gyasi does next

Gyasi has created a masterpiece which is educational, highly ambitious and extremely touching

Through her words we come to understand parts of history that are sometimes ignored

An epic saga

A wonderfully evocative and compassionate novel - one that shows deftness, depth and maturity. Homegoing is a gift to its readers and a treasure to cherish

The structure is fantastically strong, but it would have been nothing without Gyasi's ability to bring each character alive. At every turn she resists cliché and dogma ... she deftly weaves in just enough historical information without sacrificing its complexity ... Homegoing has something better than perfection, and that is a touch of magic... [Gyasi is] the right artist at the right time

Gyasi's debut novel has a distinctive strength and courage ... a descendent of Alex Haley's Roots and Toni Morrison's Beloved, an extended response to Joyce Carol Oates's Last Hundred Years trilogy

A confident, vivid, engrossingtale [that] winds towards a moving conclusion

Gyasi's widescreen view of history powerfully drives home her view that we are all responsible for ourselves and for each other ... a highly compassionate feat of storytelling

Entwining history, politics and personal events, this is an ambitious novel that is, and will continue to be, highly culturally relevant

Astoundingly ambitious

Ambition and talent don't always go hand-in-hand; here they unquestionably do

Tracing the descendants of two women across seven generations, this unflinching debut from Ghanaian-American author Yaa Gyasi examines the lingering effects of slavery from the 18th-century Gold Coast to the US at the turn of the 21st century

Ambitious, multi-generational saga of the effects of the slave trade