Praisesong for the Widow

From the acclaimed author of Daughters and Brown Girl Brownstones comes a work of exceptional wisdom maturity and generosity one in which the palpable humanity of its characters transcends any considerations of race or sex(Washington Post Book World). Avey Johnsona black middle-aged middle-class widow given to hats gloves and pearlshas long since put behind her the Harlem of her childhood. Then on a cruise to the Caribbean with two friends inspired by a troubling dream she senses her life beginning to unraveland in a panic packs her bag in the middle of the night and abandons her friends at the next port of call. The unexpected and beautiful adventure that follows provides Avey with the links to the culture and history she has so long disavowed. . Astonishingly moving.Anne Tyler TheNew York Times Book Review