Some Love, Some Pain, Sometime

The heroines in Cooper's latest collection of lively, charming stories (after The Matter is Life) reaffirm the centrality of romantic, committed relationships in the lives of many African American women. Cooper, whose 1989 collection, Homemade Love won the American Book Award, offers an array of fairy tales in which downtrodden Cinderella types eventually win their Prince Charmings. Though these women possess a certain innocence, both of happiness and of passion, they fall outside the conventional ingenue mold, often being middle-aged or older. The 10 stories here generally chronicle their characters' efforts to resurrect their lives after suffering harsh losses. Although the quest for a suitable husband dominates, these women also seek control over their destinies. They change their names, start pampering themselves in small ways and, through hard labor, achieve financial independence. The stories unfold in various American cities during the present day, but exact settings are left vague. Cooper's spirited use of the first person makes every tale engaging, even if the uniformity of voice makes the narrators largely indistinguishable. With thematic concerns tending to take precedence over technique, the author unabashedly indulges our romantic sensibilities. In these tales, a good man may be hard to find--but he is definitely worth both the search and the wait. Author tour. (Oct.)