THE DEAR ONE

Second-novelist Woodson (the well-received Last Summer with Maison, 1990) gives thoughtful consideration to the impact of a pregnant teenager on the 12-year-old daughter of a friend who takes her in.

Afeni (Swahili for "Dear One") is still coping with her grandmother's death and her parents' divorce when her mother invites Rebecca, 15, daughter of a childhood friend who now lives in Harlem, to share their suburban home until her baby is born. Rebecca finds it as hard to deal with a group of caring women (which includes recovering alcoholics and a lesbian couple) as Afeni does to share her room with a stranger whose concerns are her boyfriend and the baby she's about to give up. Still, in their time together the two form a bond that enables each to grow in understanding and love.Minimal plot, but the characterizations are rich, warm, and memorable; Woodson draws a frank, realistic picture of a community of African-American women who thrive while bravely confronting a myriad of problems and life situations.

Though the writing is occasionally a little slapdash, this is a strong, original, and life-affirming book.