Middlesex

Excellent exploration of the life of the main character and his/her coming to terms with being a hermaphrodite. The gender relations are obviously the main attraction, and are well done, but so are the family relations and the historical backdrop.

The theme of standing in the middle between two apparently distinct poles is revisited throughout. The most interesting for me was the position of the Greek immigrant (or 2nd generation) in the middle of racially-divided and explosive Detroit. Really well done without beating the reader over the head with metaphor.

Also happens to contain the best and most accurate descriptions of northern Michigan in the summer that I've read.