Currently I'm reading Thirteen Moons, Charles Frazier's follow-up to Cold Mountain. It's about an orphaned boy who, in indentured servitude, is sent by his aunt and uncle to run an Indian trading post, where he is adopted by the Cherokee Nation; the story spans almost his entire life, through much of the 1800s and into the early 20th century. Epic in scope and rich in imagery, but also fast-moving with a sharp and often witty narrative voice.