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Anika Nailah, . . Doubleday, $21.95 (224pp) ISBN 978-0-385-50293-1

Nailah, the African-American director of Books of Hope, a program promoting self-publishing, probes various strategies for dealing with racial inequity in America with sincerity and optimism in this debut collection. Nailah is a strong storyteller who creates well-defined characters, and she's at her best putting them in unusual situations that force both characters and readers to think outside the box. "Sunday Visit" is the prize example, describing the weekly visit of a young girl whose mother is in prison because her baby son was killed in an accidental fire that she caused. "Joey Falling" is similarly intriguing, presenting the anxieties of an African-American college teacher as she struggles to deal with the implications of her second unwanted pregnancy. The author's compassion shows in "My Side of the Story," a familiar but heartfelt account of a young boy's attempts to deal with his parents' divorce. But many of the other offerings are rife with plot and character clichés: "Trudy," set in 1954, is an earnest but clumsy look at a black store clerk's anger when a white woman accuses her of stealing, while "Four" portrays a quartet of different but stereotypical African-American men as they come together in a music group. There is talent on display in the crafting of these tales, and Nailah's empathy is obvious, but she'll have to steer clear of stereotypes and clichés to fully realize her potential. Agent, Pam Bernstein. (Feb.)