Allende's Daughter of Fortune, published in 1999, is the author's sixth novel. Set in the 1800s, it tells the story of a young woman who takes the road less traveled in pursuit of her own identity and happiness. Like Allende's former fictional works, this one also presents characters that span many generations, plots that converge, and questions issues of class and ethnicity.

Angela's Ashes: A Memoir is Frank McCourt's 1996 book, which quickly became a bestseller; it was eventually followed by 'Tis, a sequel to his autobiography. McCourt recalls his childhood and life in Ireland and New York City, painting a poignant yet often humorous picture of a life of poverty, spent among many siblings and with an alcoholic father.

Richard Wright's semi-fictional autobiography Black Boy, originally published in 1945, came out in a new edition in the 1990s. A moving story of...