3. The Salt Roads, by Nalo Hopkinson

[chipmunk-planet.livejournal.com]

This is an interesting book.

Three women (a healer slave in what I guess is 17th century Haiti, an actress in 19th century Paris, and a prostitute in 4th century Egypt) are linked by encounters with a goddess. The story is about their lives and how the goddess assists them and their families at various times.

The goddess/narrator gives the story an almost allegorical tone as she philosophizes about the Ginen (African) peoples and how they spread over the world.

Bring a strong stomach and an open mind. There's alternate sexuality of every kind, violence, and very gritty depictions of life. I literally almost lost my lunch at one scene.

What I liked about the book was how down to earth these very different women were, grounded, even as they each had to make difficult decisions as to how they lived (some decisions didn't turn out well, either, which made it more real).

If you like historical or literary fiction, you'll probably like this book.