Ballroom

United by their love for ballroom dancing, a disparate group of New Yorkers gather, but never really connect, in this lackluster debut novel. Elderly dance teacher Harry has been romantically obsessed with young competitive dancer Maria since she was a child. Sarah, middle-aged and disconsolate, finds an admirer in 60-year-old Joseph, who phone-stalks her in his spare time. Rounding out the sprawling cast of characters is Angel, Maria's ambitious dance partner, and Gabriel, an unhappily married diamond dealer. Gathering weekly to waltz and tango at the dilapidated Starlight Ballroom, they all yearn to be a "part of the dance, of something larger" than themselves. Yet despite the inviting premise, the execution stumbles. Pedestrian prose dims the sparkle of the glamorous setting, and dialogue conveys information but rarely emotion. Occasionally, evocative images hint at the prettier world these characters long for, but we never find a reason to hope along with them. Agent: Marly Rusoff and Michael Radulescu, Marly Rusoff Literary Agency. (Sept.)