Silver Sparrow, by Tayari Jones

Silver Sparrow, by Tayari Jones.  Predictable story conclusion.  A young woman, Gwen, meets James, a married man .  She falls for him and has his daughter, Dana.  James and Gwen go to another state and marry!   Knowing he already has a wife, Gwen and James feel the need to make their relationship attain a higher step of commitment.  At nearly the same time James' wife has a daughter, (Bunny) Chaurisse.  They all live near each other, but his wife and Chaurisse don't know about Gwen and Dana.  Dana and Gwen secretly "spy" on James' other family with envy.  If Chaurisse plans to attend a specific school, camp, or gets a summer job, Dana has to give up her plans if they coincide.    Eventually Dana develops a relationship with the unknowing Chaurisse.  All these years, James continues to give a stingy amount of time, money and support to the secret family. In the mix is James' "brother" who aids and abets and also loves Gwen and Dana!   As James' mother is dying he decides she must know about Dana, who is called upon to meet her grandmother for the first and only time.  The grandmother gives Dana a broach which causes all kinds of problems later.  It is a heart wrenching story as far as Dana's emotional needs go, although her mother does well by her, except for the elephant in their lives.  So what happens to a young girl like Dana who only knows the life as a secret daughter? Well, what happens in real life to single, young girls seeking to fill an empty spot in their lives?  It's a cycle that continues through many generations.   The best part for me, was learning about the interaction between the women whose lives are like a different culture from my own, and how the characters accept what is, to me, the unacceptable.  7 out of 10.  I wouldn't read it again, or start it if I'd known what I was getting in to.  It's what I call "dark."  Depressing, not unlike so many books Oprah might recommend.