Sunday, March 9, 2008

My Best Friend's Girl-Dorothy Koomson

My Best Friend's Girl
Dorothy Koomson
Bantam, Apr 2008, $12.00
ISBN: 9780553591415

From St. Jude’s Hospital in central London, Adele "Del" Brannon sends a short pleading note to Kamryn "Ryn" Matika asking her to come visit her before she dies from leukemia. Ryn wants to ignore the letter as she never forgave her Leeds College friend for having an affair with her fiancé Nate Turner that resulted in a child Tegan. Still Ryn goes to see Del whom she stopped talking to for the past two years once she learned the truth about who sired her goddaughter.

Del asks Ryn not so much to forgive her for her indiscretion, but begs her former best friend to adopt and raise five years old Tegan. Ryn hesitantly agrees, but soon meets strong opposition from Del’s stepmother while gaining support from her boss Luke Wiseman at a time when Nate, ignorant he sired a daughter, wants back in her life

MY BEST FRIEND’S GIRL is a strong contemporary drama that uses interrelationships between fully developed characters to vividly portray society’s challenges. The story line digs into race, family, friendship, and different types of love relationships with vulnerable Ryn as the foci of each. Though the audience will weep at melodramatic moments, Dorothy Koomson pulls no punches with this compelling sharp look at vulnerable people.

Harriet Klausner

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