Transcendent Kingdom
Score Modern
What it's about
Gifty is a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience at Stanford, studying the brain circuits of reward, depression and addiction in mice. Her brother, Nana, a gifted athlete, died of a heroin overdose after an injury got him hooked on OxyContin, and her suicidal mother is now living in her bed. Gifty turns to science to understand her family's suffering, while still hungering for the faith of her Pentecostal childhood in Alabama.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction. Yaa Gyasi, the author of Homegoing, writes with rare grace about grief, faith and science.
You'll love it if you liked
Homegoing, The Bell Jar or Demon Copperhead
Good to know
It's quiet and introspective, moving between Gifty's present and her childhood. It deals with addiction and depression.
Quick answers
Is Transcendent Kingdom worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction. It ranks #620 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Transcendent Kingdom about?
Gifty is a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience at Stanford, studying the brain circuits of reward, depression and addiction in mice. Her brother, Nana, a gifted athlete, died of a heroin overdose after an injury got him hooked on OxyContin, and her suicidal mother is now living in her bed. Gifty turns to science to understand her family's suffering, while still hungering for the faith of her Pentecostal childhood in Alabama.
How long does it take to read Transcendent Kingdom?
About 7 hours (266 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Transcendent Kingdom?
If you liked it, try Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath or Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.
By the numbers
- Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller43 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz19 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Women's Prize for Fiction finalist (2021).
Where it ranks
- #70 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #309 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #620 of the 2,819 books we rank
Shortlisted
- Women's Prize for Fiction finalist (2021)
Reads as
Moving
