Before we jump into sharing info about this month’s book, we’re here to remind you that we’re also currently raising money to fund book-hiding in 2025! Will you make our holiday season bright and consider a donation to help us meet our $10K goal for 2025? ❤ Once we hit our goal, anyone who donated $100 or more to the fundraiser will be entered to win a fun Tome Gnome tote full of goodies (and likely some signed books from one of TTG’s founding board members) 😉 You can donate at the link below:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/hiding-books-in-2025

AND NOW, for what you’ve been waiting for: all about this month’s hidden book!

About the book, from Penguin Random House:

“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. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.

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 a story of 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.”

About the author, Charmaine Wilkerson:

“Charmaine Wilkerson is a Caribbean-American writer who has lived in Jamaica and Italy. Her debut novel Black Cake is a New York Times bestseller, a #ReadWithJenna book club pick, and the basis for the Hulu/Disney+ screen series of the same name. Her forthcoming novel Good Dirt is now available for preorder. Charmaine is a former news and communication professional whose award-winning short fiction has appeared in various anthologies and magazines.”

Why I selected Black Cake for the December 2024 Giveaway:

• This book is the perfect read for December, which is often the season of cooking, family traditions (and sometimes tackling challenging family dynamics), and setting intentions for how we might cook up new lives for ourselves in the year to come.
• This novel celebrates second chances, which this gnome thinks is something we can all relate to, especially as we look ahead to our new year’s intentions ❤
• This book is incredibly well-paced and strikes a good balance between being character and plot-driven. The short chapters will keep you turning the pages to know what happens next.
• This book does a wonderful job of including bi-sexual representation, which isn’t often tackled in widespread literary or popular fiction.
• The magic of the Black Cake (and all the ways it is infused throughout the story) will make you want to try some Black Cake (which you can do since this book includes the recipe). Pro-tip: you have to start the receipt 4 months in advance – read the book to learn why 😉