An audio book.
Dana (her 1st person PoV) lives in Atlanta with her mother Gwen. Gwen divorced early in a disappointing marriage then slept with James, Dana's father, who loves then both but he's married to Laverne with whom he has a daughter Chaurisse, who's about the same age as Dana. James told Gwen from the start that he was married. James and Gwen marry in another state. Dana and Gwen sometimes spy on the other side of the family. Sometimes they speak to them without revealing who they are. James supports them as best he can.
It's an age of colour prejudice and the main characters are black. Dana lacks role models. She's interested that some black men she knows have nude pin-ups of black women.
James has his own chaffeur company and stutters when he's nervous. He has a meal with them once a week and stays one night a year.
Dana's mother left soon after Dana was born. James's mother took in Raleigh as a brother for James. He's light. It's Raleigh's name on Dana's birth certificate. He offers to marry Gwen. She rejects him.
At 15 Dana's clever, smoking grass and might be having sex. She meets other girls in her position or worse. James takes her to his mother's death bed.
Part 2 is from Chaurisse's PoV. As in Part 1, the daughter recounts her mother's earlier experiences as if the mother were recounting them. Both the mothers prefer Raleigh to James when they first meet Raleigh. In Part 2 there are people who think Raleigh might be gay.
Laverne's had her "Pink Fox Salon" for 20 years. She and Chaurisse aren't as pretty or thin as Dana and Gwen. Chaurisse has thin hair and wears hair extensions. Dana become friends with Chaurisse. Chaurisse is surprised by the coincidences in their lives. When they're in Chaurisse's car they have a blow-out. Chaurisse phones James who comes to pick them up. Dana hides. Gwen appears. It's awkward.
Later, Gwen turns up at Laverne's workplace with Dana, saying who she is. It's unclear why. Laverne chucks James out. They reconcile. In an epilogue, Dana hasn't seen James for 12 years. She has a child, Flora, aged 4. Dana doesn't live with the father - he looks after Flora once a week. Progress, thinks Dana. She meets Chaurisse.
Part 2's build up to the party drags.
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