Shange’s intention in writing Betsey Brown was to provide a look at the adolescence of one black girl. In her own youth, Shange reports, she could find no books to help her sort out her own life: Books about young women were written by whites for whites, and most books by African Americans were by and about men. Betsey Brown presents Betsey’s struggles with gentle humor and love; for this book, Shange puts aside her own rage at sexism and racism to present a more reassuring view. The reader knows from the beginning that things will come out right in the end.

That is not to say that Shange does not take Betsey’s worries seriously. In one gentle comic scene, Betsey and her girlfriends retreat to Susan Linda’s bedroom to compare their developing breasts. Susan Linda is worried because one of her nipples is larger than the other. When they begin to touch them, and even to count their pubic hairs (Betsey has five), one of the girls runs away, fearing the wrath of God. Shange presents the girls’ reflections and comments in a serious, straightforward manner; there is no hint of her laughing at the girls. She knows that for girls (and her young readers) the issues are important, even though an older reader may smile at their innocence and ignorance.

Interestingly, Shange does not take the opportunity presented here to educate her young readers. She does not allow her narrator to comment on the relative sizes of women’s nipples, to reassure Susan Linda—and an inquiring young reader—that the supposed deformity is not a problem. Instead, she simply presents the scene as it happened, with no adults there to whisk worries away. Readers are meant to relate to the character of Betsey Brown, not to learn anatomy from her. By the end of the novel, however, the young reader will understand that growing up happens on its own, and that knowledge and power are handed down from older women. If the reader has questions about her body, she may be ready to ask them.

A central issue of the novel is the importance of passing down information and understanding, especially about heritage. Greer wakes his children every morning with a conga drum and chanting, and then leads them through a quiz on black history. All the children can recite poetry by Paul Laurence Dunbar and Countée Cullen; they know the music of Dizzy Gillespie, Chuck Berry, and Duke Ellington. Betsey herself has been rocked to sleep by W. E. B. Du Bois, and she once tried to sneak into a Tina Turner concert.

As much as Jane loves and admires Greer, she fears that this cultural exposure will limit her children instead of expanding their horizons. She would like the children to grow up with nice middle-class manners and tastes, and she is afraid that they will be in real danger if they become too involved in the civil rights struggle. It is not until Jane can reembrace her heritage and the need for involvement that she can really be a part of the family. While she is absent, Carrie takes her place and teaches Betsey and the other children how to combine the dreams of both parents. She shows them the importance of standing up for themselves and honoring their culture and history, and she also teaches them to be well-mannered and self-sufficient.

The story unfolds chronologically, in short scenes full of dialogue and internal monologue. The language is simple and poetic, reflecting Shange’s enormous talents as playwright and poet. Shange has a strong ear for language and...