Tree of Life — Maryse Conde

It is impossible to read her novels and not come away from them with both a sadder and more exhilarating understanding of the human heart. - THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEWRapidly shifting between Guadeloupe and Harlem, moving from Haiti's desperate slums to the exclusive enclaves of the Parisian upper class, this deeply personal tale traces one Guadeloupe family's rise from poverty to riches through several generations.