NONFICTION - Nov. 5, 1995

SISTERHOOD OF THE NIGHT Becky Usry. (New Horizon Press: $22.95; 304 pp.) One day, out of the clear blue sky, Becky Usry, a single mother of three, decided to start a program that would encourage prostitutes to find a healthier life. Her book, “Sisterhood of the Night,” is the story of Usry’s successes and failures while she worked almost 24 hours a day to help prostitutes. It was a risky undertaking. Many pimps resented her presence and became violent. “Sisterhood of the Night” abounds with structural problems on both a large and small scale. It is never made clear exactly what Usry’s motivation is for helping the prostitutes. She had no degrees or real experience.

Prostitution is a sad business. People should definitely be informed. But they won’t find out too much from “Sisterhood of the Night.”