Description:
Each of the six stories in Chaim Potok's lovely collection is titled simply with the name of the main character, reflecting the essence of these quiet selections--intense, exquisitely drawn portraits of the ordinary lives of young people. In "Zebra" a boy, with the help of a mysterious, unconventional art teacher, begins to regain the use of his crushed hand--and in the process heals a bit of his injured spirit. Secrets abound in "B.B.," where a young girl whose baby brother has died must cope with discovering the hidden realities about her family that are "too much of a secret for me to be carrying alone." "Nava" describes how a young woman handles a bully, calling upon the strength inspired by the words of a Native American family friend to confront a violent drug dealer. The issues faced by these young adults--trust, divorce, grief, hope, peer and family dynamics--are common coming-of-age milestones. But what makes Potok's powerful work shine is that he clearly holds respect for the intelligence and intuition of young people, allowing them to decipher their own truths--refraining from preaching or hammering a point home. Potok, author of The Chosen, published several of these stories previously in adult publications. Nevertheless, these voices never sound dubiously mature for their teen years; they speak the straightforward, often strikingly insightful language of youth. As one young character notes, "I think losing your soul is when you can't tell a story about something that has happened to you." Indeed. Judging by the quality and craftsmanship of these tales, it's obvious that Potok is brimming with soul. (Ages 12 and older). --Brangien Davis
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