BOOKSHELF. - reviews - book review

THE Fisher King (Scribner, $23) is a lush novel that spans two continents as it weaves a story of music, love, struggle and reconciliation, by Paule Marshall. The drama begins when a Black jazz pianist flees the oppression of his family and American society for Paris. He finds success and starts a family. Years later, after his death, his young grandson returns to New York for a memorial concert in his honor. The tale unfolds as the family that drove the musician to leave the continent of his birth tries to claim the child as their own. Instead of a tool of division, the boy becomes a means of restoration. It's a powerful read by a gifted novelist.

Coaching Your Kids in the Game of Life (Bethany House Publishers, $17.99), a parenting book built on the principles that helped the author, a former Northwestern University coach, build strong players and teach them to realize their dreams, by Ricky Byrdsong with Dave and Neta Jackson. Before his shooting death at the hands of a White supremacist, Byrdsong had been working on this book, a game plan for guiding children through life. Filled with sports anecdotes and useful tips, Byrdsong's spirit lives on through his winning lessons.

Freedom's Children: The Passage from Emancipation into the Twentieth Century (Crown Books, $32.50), a unique look at the struggles of African-Americans after emancipation, by Velma Maia Thomas. Using interactive tools such as a miniature reader used by newly freed Blacks, replicas of documents you can hold in your hand and fold-out pages, the book makes the post-antebellum experience real for its readers.

Whatever Happened to Daddy's Little Girl? The Impact on Fatherlessness of Black Women (Ballatine, $25), a book that explores the difficult reality of women who grow up without fathers, by Jonetta Rose Barras. While much has been said about the impact of fatherlessness on sons, the author tills fresh ground as she uncovers the equally wrenching experiences suffered by daughters like herself--fear of abandonment, promiscuity, depression, rage, etc. It's a new but important conversation that replaces the silence and pain with hope.

Miriam's Song (Simon & Schuster, $25) is the memoir of a Black woman's fight to beat the South African system of apartheid that has set her up for poverty, abuse and failure, by Miriam Mathabane as told to Mark Mathabane. As much a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, this lyric tale is also a critique of the evil of apartheid that sentenced the Black majority to a life of despair.

Not A Day Goes By (Bantam Books, $25.95), a page-turner that picks up the saga of recurring character John Basil Henderson and his new love interest, Broadway singer Yancey Harrington Braxton, by E. Lynn Harris. In this, the author's sixth novel, the philandering Henderson and the manipulative Braxton consider lifelong commitment. The journey takes readers through worlds of sex, power, identity and intrigue. In his characteristic style, Harris leaves readers surprised and wanting more.

One Woman Short (Scribner, $12), a novel of self-discovery, by Nelson George. On the day of his best friend's wedding, Rodney decides to find his soul mate. He considers past loves (and lusts) and narrows his list to three women who might have been "the one." The book recounts his re-acquaintance with these women and his growth as he learns what is really important in life.

George Foreman's Big Book of Grilling Barbecue and Rotisserie: More Than 75 Recipes for Family and Friends (Simon & Schuster, $22), a cookbook stocked with recipes for everything from meat and poultry to salads, sauces and marinades, by George Foreman and Barbara Witt.

Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials. and Hardcore Truths of Snoop Dogg (William Morrow, $23), an autobiography of a multiplatinum-selling rapper, by Snoop Dogg with David Seay. Many people know Snoop by his melodic gangsta lyrics, but this book takes you behind the music and into the life of the boy who went from selling drugs on the streets of Long Beach, Calif., to megastardom.

Never Anything Too Easy (N.A.T.E.), (NNSJA Publishing, $29.95), an autobiography of how one man overcomes a past wracked with death, disappointment, isolation and a childhood in the foster-care system to earn a degree and become a devoted father, by Nathaniel J. Henry.

Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace (Viking, $23.95), a spiritual guidebook to finding peace and fulfillment, by Angel Kyodo Williams.

Heart Health for Black Women: A Natural Approach to Healing and Preventing Heart Disease (Marlowe & Company, $15.95), a guide to detecting, preventing and finding ways to heal heart disease, by Dr. Beverly Yates.

Teens Can Make It Happen: Nine Steps for Success (Fireside, $14), a motivational book, by Stedman Graham. Written for teens, this guide helps young people set goals and chart a road that leads them to success. Graham shares challenges of his own youth and those of teens he has met to inspire readers to navigate life's rough spots and pave a path to realizing their potential.