Sole Sisters: The Joys and Pains of Single Black Women

In this revealing work, nationally syndicated columnist Mathis, thrice married and divorced, recounts her chats with an intriguingly random group of 125 single black women about the drastic change facing their demographic. Here's the crucial statistic: while 62% of black women were legally partnered in the 1950s, that "norm has been turned on its ear, and most black adults are unmarried" today. With a storyteller's aptitude for creating character and rendering dialogue, Mathis tells of "Shrinkers," who "want a man, but [are] not willing to put much effort into finding him"; "Freestylers," who "have pitched the old rules of engagement—same race, same age, same socioeconomic class, same religion, and same country—and widened their options"; and "Nawnaws," who are neither "gay women or nuns... who have no interest in men." There are also biological clock watchers ("Tickers"), virtuous widows ("Flamekeepers") and "Trippers" in relationships that resemble "a trip down whitewater rapids with neither a paddle nor a boat." There's "a troubling trend" in the numbers, Mathis says, but "there is a lot of upside to being a single black woman in these days." Her book offers wit and wisdom for living with both the pains and the joys. (July)