Brothers and Sisters

Brothers and Sisters Bebe Moore Campbell (Putnam, $22.95) The story of the burgeoning friendship between two female coworkers, one black and the other white, Campbell's second work of fiction is set in a large bank in post-riot Los Angeles. The president of the institution is under pressure to ''give back'' to the community, and decides to appoint a black man to a prestigious post, to the vehement dismay of the white supremacist type in line for the job. Needless to say, things escalate, and the resulting trauma encompasses sexual harassment, backstabbing, and other conflicts. Mostly, however, it encompasses race: What does it mean? When does it take precedence over other shared characteristics? And is it, in any situation, a moot point? The answer, at least to the last question, seems to be no, and, in this novel, it is whacking you on the head. Campbell can certainly tell a story, and there are aspects of a blockbuster here, but in the end what's missing from this book is something that is never missing from life: shades of gray. B --Vanessa V. Friedman