ANOTHER BROOKLYN by Jacquelyn Woodson

August moves with her father and younger brother from Tennessee to Brooklyn as a young girl in the 1970s.  She becomes close friends with three other girls there:  Sylvia, who aspires to be a lawyer; Gigi, a budding actress; and Angela, a gifted dancer.  Now a young woman, August reflects on the fates of her three friends when she encounters Sylvia on the subway.  She notes that her motherless situation could have turned out much differently, but her father is a decent man and sends her to a therapist, who helps her cope with the loss of her mother.  Her friends are not so lucky, and August remembers that her mother taught her never to trust women, and, in fact, several mothers in this novel fail their daughters in a variety of ways.  There are several heartbreaking moments, but August tells her story in a clear-eyed, lyrical fashion, and I felt that this very short novel’s overall message was a message of strength.  August’s biggest failing is that she remains in denial even when facing evidence of tragic events, but the rose-colored glasses eventually have to come off.  That’s the essence of growing up.  I loved this character and this book.  It’s a much better novel about girl power than The Power.