Much has been written about the institution of slavery. But with "Family", Cooper has taken the slave narrative and recreated it as an epic, yet collo quial, poem. "Mesmerizing . . . Cooper weaves four wry, humorous, tragic tales that envelop and transcend time, offering hope and renewal at the same time they chronicle desolation and death".--"San Francisco Chronicle".
In this wise, beguiling, and beautiful novel set in the era of the Civil War, award-winning playwright and author J. California Cooper paints a haunting portrait of a woman named Always and four generations of her African-American family.