"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 Conde 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 Conde's fiction: haunting, powerful, poignant, and leavened with a streak of humor. Maryse Conde's previous work includes the novels "Windward Heights "and "Desirada," both available from Soho Press.