In “The Better Half,” coauthors Alli Frank and Asha Youmans give their readers what we have come to expect: a novel with relatable main characters, humor, romance, and very honest talk about race. In this novel, main character Nina Morgan Clarke appears to have it all. She’s the first Black, female head of school at the tony Royal-Hawkins School in Pasadena, CA. She’s worked hard to get there, and with her daughter across the country at a private boarding school that’s close to her ex-husband, Nina can finally enjoy life and the fruits of her years of labor.

Before the school year begins, Nina and her BFF since they were little kids, Marisol, decide to take a girls’ vacation. It’s there that Nina meets Leo, who is White, but is charismatic and handsome. They have a one-night-stand that turns into a relationship. It turns out that Leo will be going overseas for his law firm, so Nina’s first question is whether their just-budding relationship will survive four months apart.

But Nina soon has bigger questions when she finds out she’s pregnant. She’s in her forties, her daughter is in high school, and she’s got an important career. Is there any way she can balance that with going through parenthood all over again? And will Leo even want the baby? And then there’s the issue of Leo’s skin color: White.

As the authors explain in the acknowledgments, this book was written before the shocking Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v Wade. Luckily, when weighing her options, the ability to actually obtain an abortion does not figure into Nina’s planning. The authors know their way around schools, and the setting at a private school is very authentic. So are Nina’s doubts and worries about having a baby with Leo. She can’t believe that a White guy will be able to competently father a Black son, should the baby be a boy.

And as we observe devious parents and school board members, problems with Nina’s daughter Xandra, feelings of uncertainty regarding Leo, and her father’s quirky personality, we are drawn into the story and begin to care about these diverse characters. The book flows quickly and entertainingly. But there is more to this novel than just a great summer read; it’s a thoughtful story about race. Does marrying outside of one’s race or ethnicity somehow make one less? Less Chinese or less Mexican or less Black? It’s a thoughtful question that will keep book club readers talking as they share their opinions and experiences.

This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.