Remember Me

Robinson's (When I Get Where I'm Going) latest offers a timely, though ultimately forgettable, glance into a turbulent inter-racial friendship. Black Mia Marks and white Danielle King are schoolmates and budding friends who must confront issues of race and class in 1970s suburban Michigan. Dreaming of careers as teachers and writers, the girls aim to help each other achieve these goals while coping with their prejudiced friends and family. Predictably, a man comes between them. After years of estrangement, a tragic accident involving Mia and Danielle's daughters brings the friends together again, and they must address their intense history for the sake of their families. Despite the novel's many tragedies, readers may have trouble investing in the immature and shallow heroines, undercutting the power of the denouement. However, those anxious for second chances in life may find the novel gratifying. (Aug.)