Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides

Middlesex is a beautifully written novel with memorable turns of phrase and a complex rich story line that spans 3 generations.  The story takes place in Greece, Turkey and Detroit MI, and is told from the perspective of a narrator who begins their story as a female, and ends as a male.
It is certainly not a short read.   The subject matter is a bit unusual, but there is nothing unusual about the momentum that carries the plot, from war, to the hey day of Motor City, to race riots,  all of which so colorfully and often times sadly highlight the human condition.
I would recommend this book, but you have to be in the mood to invest time and be willing to engross yourself in what I sometimes found to be uncomfortable topics.