The novel Roots, by Alex Haley, is considered one of the most wonderful and influential contemporary books. Through the story of a family - his own - Alex Haley has given life to the unforgettable and exemplary story of a character named Kunta Kinte and six generations after him. Many characters are involved in this novel: slaves and freed people, farmers and blacksmiths, lumber and railroad workers, lawyers and architects, and of course a writer.