Louretta Hawkins and her older brother William are the most fully developed characters in The Soul Brothers and Sister Lou. A courageous fourteen-year-old, Louretta challenges gang leaders to reject violence and to pursue peaceful, productive goals.

Louretta also reminds adults of their responsibility to teen-agers. She persuades parents and teachers to get involved with the clubhouse, and she encourages honest dialogue between teen-agers and adults. On a more personal level, Louretta struggles to overcome the deep resentment that she feels toward her father, who abandoned his family when he could not find work so that his wife could qualify for welfare assistance. Louretta is a sensitive, dynamic character who triumphs over difficult problems during the course of the novel.

William, Lou's twenty-one-year-old brother, acts as a surrogate father for his siblings. Although his job at the post office provides enough income to support the...