Embracing the Fire: Sisters Talk about Sex and Relationships

Boyd, a psychotherapist and author of In the Company of My Sisters: Black Women and Self-Esteem, addresses the issue of sexuality in the lives of African American women. In the laid-back conversational writing style that has served her well, she intersperses skilled professional insights with her own experiences and those of her black women's ""sister circle,"" from whose pungent comments she quotes directly. Asked about the last time she had sex, one of the sisters retorts, ""it was so good till it made my toes curl. There! Now are you satisfied? Pass the hot sauce, sis."" The topics addressed include the pleasures of erotic sex, pluses and minuses of long-term relationships, communication between the sexes and lesbian love affairs. Boyd also has a useful chapter on the importance of daughters learning from and respecting the sexual choices of their mothers while becoming strong enough to make their own relationship decisions. The sister circle is composed of diverse and thoughtful women with a zest for life. Their struggles and joys will greatly interest other women regardless of their race. (Feb.)