Tales from the Heart: True Stories from My Childhood

"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.