Because I like Oprah, I keep trying her "picks," and, invariably (so far, hope springs eternal) I end up feeling I've been had by hype. The characters in this book seem disengaged from their own problems. It's as if the author threw in a "readimix" of contemporary issues to get our attention, then copped out on developing the characters' relationships with those issues. The book's too short; the author doesn't finish telling her story. (What happened to the good old days of long, luxuriant reads?) Maybe my problem is I'm not black, fat, or abused. But, surely Oprah must realize not EVERYONE in her audience IS.