By a noted Brazilian author, this novel relates the story of several generations of a large family of Lebanese immigrants living in Manaus. Dominating the family is the matriarch, Emilie. The story ranges back and forth in time, told by different narrators, including Hakim, one of Emilie’s sons; Dorner, a photographer who is a family friend; and one of the two boys that Emilie adopts. From the death of her beloved brother Emir before she marries, and the illegitimate pregnancy of her only daughter, Samara, through the tragic accident that kills Samara’s deaf-and-dumb daughter, Soraya Angela, the loss of her husband, and other family disasters, Emilie provides the family’s strength and the unifying thread. Her death and funeral begin and end the book and provide a frame for all the various memories. Hatoum combines a lush mix of Brazilian and Middle Eastern cultures with a poignant story and an impressionistic style. The Tree of the Seventh Heaven was first published in 1989 and won a prestigious Brazilian literary prize. Mary Ellen Quinn