Sleep Baby Sleep

Told with edgy intensity, this gripping story of a young mother searching for her kidnapped baby could have been lifted from recent headlines. Sylvie Pearson at 20 not only looks remarkably childlike, with whitish-blonde hair and blue eyes, but acts in a docile and dependent manner, her low self-esteem reinforced by her judgmental mother, Hanna, a brusque college professor who never fails to remind Sylvie of her ineptitude. But the young woman feels secure and pampered when she moves in with her fiance, Peter, a handsome and caring man of 33 whom she has recently met at a New Haven mall. Her assurance and competence grow with the birth of their daughter, Calley. Sylvie is plunged into a nightmare, however, when, after a five-minute walk to the grocery, she returns home to find the infant gone. It isn't long before the FBI focuses on Sylvie as their prime suspect, the local police halt their own investigation and Peter abandons her. Unwilling to give up on her child and provoked by suspicions about Peter's real identity, Sylvie decides to find Calley herself, setting off on a long journey during which she redefines herself and, aided by a sympathetic detective, unravels a scenario that's horrifying yet plausible. Auerbach's newest novel (after Painting on Glass ) maintains a steady momentum and suspense. TV rights optioned to Citadel Entertainment; Literary Guild featured alternate. (July)