French Braid

I read this right after finishing Harlem Shuffle and at first thought it seemed kind of slight, with its focus on a somewhat disconnected family, but it's really very good. Bittersweet, but lots of humor. Each chapter told from a different family member's perspective, covering multiple generations. Insightful observations about the complexities of people's lives - disappointments, troubled relationships, bad communication, delusions, regrets, ambitions and affection. I thought this review by Jennifer Haigh was interesting, pointing out that it's also a subversive novel that examines the "consequences of stifled female ambition — to the woman herself, and to those in her orbit."