This is my favorite novel of all time, but more than that it may be the best novel of all time.

It's epic, it's fantasy, it's historical fiction, it's spiritual -- it's one of those books that has everything -- and is about everything -- and it manages to pull it off without being sloppy, preachy, slow, or dull.

The first time I read this novel, the ending literally took my breath away -- not because I was so surprised, but simply because I was moved right into my gut by the huge sweep of the story and the incredible love for all things that seems to stand behind it.

If you've read any Isabel Allende or enjoyed "Like Water for Chocolate" (or maybe even the Johnny Depp film "Chocolat"), you owe it to yourself to try this.

It may be a bit difficult to get into at first -- everyone has the same name, kind of like War and Peace -- but it is so worth it!