  The decays B -> D^{**} pi, where D^{**} is a narrow p-wave charm resonance,
are investigated in the context of a generalized factorization hypothesis,
including the leading nonfactorizable corrections. The decay rates for these
processes are related to the corresponding semileptonic rates at maximum
recoil. It is pointed out that the current data on the branching ratio for the
decay B^- -> D_2^{*0} pi^- may pose a problem for theory. We predict that
future, more accurate measurements of this branching ratio will find a value
B(B^- -> D_2^{*0} pi^-) = 4 * 10^{-4}, a factor 5 lower than the current
central value.
