Knight (The Things We Do for Love
) weaves a somewhat implausible story line that delves into the past of four African-American teen girls who attended a mostly white Christian high school in Dayton, Ohio. Lurking in the minds of these now accomplished adult women is the memory of an attempted sexual assault from 20 years earlier, when the intended victim turned the tables on her white fellow student assailant. Julia Turner, a skilled educator, returns to Christian Light School (where the crime was committed) and tries to make a difference in the community at large. Turner soon realizes she cannot run from the past and its consequences when she is pressured by unlikely sources to face the truth. Close friends, a former romantic interest and the Holy Spirit's nudging convince Turner to bravely set a different course for herself. Fans of Knight's previous works will appreciate the author's underlying message of righting societal wrongs. But so much of the novel's dialogue is unnaturally stilted that it detracts from the impact the author intended. (Mar.)
