Once Upon a Family Tree (PB) (2004)

The author of Love to the Third returns with a novel about two couples searching for love and lasting connections against the constantly shifting backdrop of the modern urban family. Michelle De Leon brings her unique storytelling talents to this immensely entertaining tale of family, friendship, love, and relationships that are just a little more unconventional than most. Seventeen-year-old Yolara has grown up surrounded by a close, supportive network of friends and family in the neighborhood. She's the love child of Caridad Flores (who's also Yolie's best pal) and Meshach Burkette, and she has a wild half-sister named Egypt. To complicate things further, Yolie has a powerful crush on Kaliq Nichols, Caridad's one-time lover. Then there's Meshach, who is still in love with Caridad. Every day brings a new drama to this singular extended family. Featuring characters who groove to the beat of their own drums and filled with catchy, authentic dialogue and fast-paced action, Once Upon a Family Tree is a novel about community, the unique challenges facing today's intricate families, and the love that keeps them together.