A Different Sort of Faith

Sistah's in the basement selling [her body] for sale.

Ron is still in jail, and Sonsyrea's fed up with the way marital, religious and racial loyalties have distorted her life. "There ought to be a law against men calling women collect to curse them out," she writes. "There ought to be a law against women being silly enough to accept those calls time after time." Her uncles -- and by extension, other black men, "got into all kinds of trouble and tried to justify it saying they were just trying to take back some of what the white man had taken from Blacks for so many years."

Think of the confusions. Think of the clashing expectations between white, black and Arabic cultures. Think of Sonsyrea's mother unrolling a dozen prayer rugs five times a day. Think of that poor plastic rose. That poor guy in jail. Then think of Sonsyrea's almost inexplicable courage in extricating herself from that harsh world of so many contradictions. If the people close to the author may be provoked, strangers should thank her for opening a window into this all too perplexing world.

Sunday in Book World

? Hugo Chavez's life story.

? Noam Chomsky's fierce opinions.

? "An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes"

? Tales from the classroom.

? And alphabetical fiction.