"Honest, exquisitely measured . . . inspiring in its reminder of the human spirit’s capacity to endure."—The New York Times Book Review

"[An] astute study of family and place."—Washington Post Book World

In this collection of autobiographical essays, Maryse Condé vividly evokes the relationships and events that gave her childhood meaning: discovering her parents’ feelings of alienation; her first crush; a falling out with her best friend; the death of her beloved grandmother; her first encounter with racism.

These gemlike vignettes capture the spirit of Condé’s fiction: haunting, powerful, poignant, and leavened with a streak of humor.

Maryse Condé’s previous work includes the novels Windward Heights and Desirada, both available from Soho Press.