Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi with Deanna Allbrittin

Transcendent Kingdom is a 2020 novel by Yaa Gyasi that follows Gifty, a Ghanaian-American neuroscience PhD candidate at Stanford, as she studies addiction and depression in mice while grappling with her family's history of trauma, addiction, and faith. The story explores the tension between science and religion, memory, and the search for meaning after her brother's opioid overdose and her mother's severe depression, all while reflecting on her upbringing in Alabama. Deanna Allbrittin is the main evening anchor and Development and Engagement Manager at WRIC - 8News. That means she leads station community engagement initiatives and special projects, while mentoring early-career journalists in investigative and community-centered reporting. In addition to wearing all those hats, Deanna has earned regional Murrow, Emmy and Associated Press awards. You may have also seen her moderating nationally televised debates for Virginia's closely watched U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races.Also, Deanna hosts the podcast All About Books which is a video podcast AND we recorded this episode, so head over there if you want to see the episode as we recorded it here at my home studio in Richmond! Thank you also to videographer Nikita for help make that happen!Sobolo Tea Recipe - Sobolo is a traditional Hibiscus tea served at Ghanaian parties and picnics. Deanna was kind enough to make and share it for us to sip during the episode. Incredible! This is her modified recipe, originally from Black FoodieSoboloIngredients1 Pineapple 2 Large thumbs of ginger, peeled (about 1/3 cup) 15 Grains of selim 7 African nutmeg 2 1/2 tbsp Cloves 1 tbsp Black peppercorn 1 tsp Grains of paradise 1 cup Dates, pitted 16 cups Water 2 cups Hisbiscus flowers, dried (sorrel) Sugar, to taste White vinegar 2 Cinnamon sticksDIRECTIONS (Adapted)1: Clean the pineapple by soaking in a water and vinegar solution for 10-15 minutes. Lightly brush with a produce brush to fully clean extra dirt from the skin.2: While the pineapple is soaking, soak the dates in warm water then drain when nice and soft.3: Pluck several leaves from the pineapple crown and peel the pineapple. Cut it into 2-inch chunks, making sure that the core is removed.4: In a blender, blend the pineapple fruit with the ginger and dates till smooth.5: In a pot, add the pineapple leaves, skin, blended mixture, and spices with 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Do not cover the pot otherwise it will splash. 6: Once the water has come to a boil, add the hibiscus leaves/sorrel and bring the heat down to allow the mixture to steep at a rolling boil.7: Let the mixture steep for 30-45 minutes, then turn the stove to simmer.8: Add sugar to taste. I added ~ 1 cup of brown sugar, a quarter of a cup at a time until it was just slightly less sweet than I wanted. Allow it to continue to simmer for 5-10 additional minutes, then turn the stove off.9: Let the mixture cool till the drink is room temperature. Then, strain the sobolo with a fine mesh strainer, pour it into a bottle and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to enjoy it!