this astonishing novel takes us on a journey along the river of one familys history carving a course across two centuries and three continents from ancient africa into todays america here through the lives of mother africas many daughters we come to understand the real meaning of roots the captive proud mary who has been savagely punished for refusing to relinquish her child to slavery earlene who witnesses her fathers murder at the hands of the ku klux klan big momma a modernday matriarch who can make a woman of a girl proud and sassy cinnamon brown whose wild abandon hides a bitter loss and smart ambitious alma who is torn between the love of a man and the song of her soulin the river where blood is born the seen and unseen worlds are seamlessly joinedthe spirit realms where the great river goddess and ancestor mothers watch over the lives of their descendants both the living and those not yet born stringing beads of destiny they work to lead one daughter back to her source but what must alma sacrifice to honor the river mothers call