“Eloquent and erudite, Robinson’s oft-times mystical coming-of-age saga teems with rich and evocative historical insights.”
—Booklist

“Robinson writes with erudition about strange and wonderful matters.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“A controversial novel on history and race that may interest readers of African and African American history.”
—Library Journal

“Hypnotic . . . one of the finest novels this year . . . [Robinson] is a gifted storyteller.”
—Essence

“Robinson is not only exploring what it means to be black. His theme of knowing the past before planning the future applies to all cultures, all people. Pick up this odyssey of family drama, history and love, and be prepared to consider your own beginnings.”
—Shelf Awareness

“Makeda is beyond ambitious and imaginative . . . well written and powerful, with an ending that is equal parts tragic and romantic in nature . . . a breathtaking revelation, weighted with romance and lovely passionate prose.”
—New York Journal of Books

“Makeda is a soaring, wrenching, and ultimately revealing glimpse into the roles within a powerful matriarchal family . . . A must-read for anyone who wants to appreciate history, the role of women, and the significance of transferring ideas, goals, and ambitions from one generation to the next.”
—Charles Ogletree, author of The Presumption of Guilt

“In Robinson’s majestic prose and sweeping historical vision, the tongues of Virginia Woolf, Gabriel García Márquez, and Toni Morrison blend to remind us that we can renew our souls in the eyes of ancestors who return to us in whatever way our lives demand.”
—Michael Eric Dyson, author of Know What I Mean?

“Like the protagonist Makeda’s many incarnations, this haunting novel of return reminds us that we are all part of something far greater than ourselves, or this moment.”
—Jill Nelson, author of Volunteer Slavery

“A scholar and a poet uncompromisingly committed to justice, Randall Robinson is a rare and exquisite writer. This novel will burn in your brain long after you have left its haunting pages.”
—Susan L. Taylor, former editor-in-chief of Essence