The Dear One

By Jacqueline Woodson

Book Overview

The National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming presents a heart-wrenching story about the stigma behind teen pregnancy and the transformative power of understanding.

"A strong, original, and life-affirming book."--Kirkus Reviews

"A sterling, well-crafted narrative that considers the gamut of emotions and opportunities that teen pregnancy presents."--KLIATT

Feni is furious when she learns that her mother has agreed to take a fifteen-year-old pregnant girl into their home, and all kinds of thoughts run through her head. How could her mother agree to this? What kind of girl would let herself get into such a situation? And how's it going to feel to share a room with a stranger? Her worst fears are confirmed when bossy Rebecca arrives, so Feni decides she'll have nothing to do with her. But it's hard not to be curious about a girl who's so different, and like it or not, Feni knows she needs to figure out a way for them to both live under the same roof . . .

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 014241705X
• ISBN13: 9780142417058
• Release Date: November 2010
• Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.6" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

All about friendship

Afeni (which means "the dear one" in Swahili) is a 12-year-old girl dealing with the tragic death of her beloved grandmother and her parents' divorce. When Rebecca, the daughter of her mother's childhood friend, comes to live with Afeni and her mother, Afeni is not pleased. Rebecca, 15, is pregnant, and Afeni is sure they will have nothing in common. At first, the girls clash, but they slowly become friends. Through a cast of strong female characters, Woodson takes on such weighty issues as teen pregnancy, adoption, and the divide between the haves and the have-nots. There is not much plot, but the relationships are rich and believable.

The Dear One is a moving, powerful book -- a must read!

Feni, a 12-year-old, does not want her mother to let Rebecca, a 15-year-old pregnant girl from Harlem, stay with them. But her mother insists this is something she must do, for her old school friend (Rebecca's mother). Feni and Rebecca do not get along at first. Rebecca seems in awe of the middle-class luxuries that Feni takes for granted, and Feni resents and is angered by Rebecca's pregnancy. However, Feni and Rebecca gradually learn to respect and even like each other.There is a great feeling of an extended family in this book, with Feni's mother, Feni's mother's best friend, Marion, Marion's partner, Clair, past reminences of Fenni's loving grandmother, and telephone conversations with Feni's father all providing a large net of love. Although the adults show their love differently, and Feni is not always sure of it, you get the feeling that this is one very loved child...and that that love and respect give her a solid base to accept and become close friends with Rebecca.The Dear One was intense, moving, and powerful. I couldn't put it down. The relationship between the two girls was very believeable, and the issues of teenage pregnancy, lesbianism, and class difference were dealt with incredibly well and with great insight. I highly recommend this book.