Homegoing vs The Unvanquished: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: African American, Slavery, African Americans, Historical Fiction, History, Fiction
Homegoing
“The night Effia Otcher was born into the musky heat of Fanteland, a fire raged through the woods just outside her father’s compound.”
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Homegoing is the debut historical fiction novel by Ghanaian-American author Yaa Gyasi, published in 2016. Each chapter in the novel follows a different descendant of an Asante woman named Maame, starting with her two…
The Unvanquished
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Set in Mississippi during the Civil War and Reconstruction, THE UNVANQUISHED focuses on the Sartoris family, who, with their code of personal responsibility and courage, stand for the best of the Old South's traditions.
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate Homegoing highest: Homegoing 4.5 · The Unvanquished 3.8.
- The Unvanquished has the widest readership — 6797 ratings behind its score.
- The Unvanquished runs the darker storyline; Homegoing stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Homegoing | The Unvanquished | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.8 (6797) |
| Hardcover | 5.0 (1) | 3.8 (7) |
| Google Books | 4.5 (3) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (1890) | 4.5 (23) |
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Reception
| Homegoing | The Unvanquished | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1890 | 6797 |
| Editions | 32 | 42 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 6519 |
| Reading it now | — | 267 |
| Written reviews | — | 548 |
| Wikipedia attention | 5134 | 1017 |
| Pages | 320 | 293 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Homegoing or The Unvanquished?
Homegoing has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Homegoing 4.5/5, The Unvanquished 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: Homegoing or The Unvanquished?
The Unvanquished is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Unvanquished (293 pages, ≈ 5 h 26 m); Homegoing (320 pages, ≈ 5 h 56 m).
Which is harder to read: Homegoing or The Unvanquished?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Homegoing: Moderate; The Unvanquished: Challenging.