cover image WHAT TO KEEP

WHAT TO KEEP

Rachel Cline, . . Random, $23.95 (304pp) ISBN 978-1-4000-6183-9

A wry, ironic voice narrates this sharply observed and paradoxically tender first novel, which reveals Denny Roman at three pivotal moments in her life. In Columbus, Ohio, in 1976, 12-year-old Denny essentially mothers herself, since her divorced mother, Lily, is more preoccupied with her neurological research than with the details of maternal care. Cool, remote Charles, Denny's father, is also a doctor; he adores Denny but can't show it. Denny's emotional support, then, comes from Maureen, an agoraphobe who runs a physician's answering service that has morphed into a life support for the Romans. An efficient surrogate mother, Maureen books taxis, makes hair appointments and fields calls from Denny's school, but her agoraphobia is a symptom of her own loneliness. Thus begins this smart, witty novel about good but emotionally blocked people who struggle to connect. Denny's thrill of success as the lead in her middle school play (which neither of her parents attends) impels her to pursue an acting career in Hollywood, where the novel jumps a decade later. She flies home to Columbus to help her mother, now remarried and on the eve of a prestigious career opportunity, pack up the family home before it's sold. Denny's question—what to keep of her youthful possessions—motivates her move to New York and leads to another career change. The plot resumes a decade later as Denny's first play is about to premiere, and as Luke, the 12-year-old son of the late Maureen, shows up on her doorstep and becomes a catalyst for the next stage in Denny's life. This study in emotional dislocation, held aloft by astute psychological insights and deadpan humor, moves to a satisfying denouement about connections that run deep and can surface when people try hard and are lucky. (Apr. 27)

Forecast: Reminiscent of Elizabeth Strout's Amy and Isabelle, another excellent mother-daughter tale, Cline's novel should be well reviewed and well received. Blurbs from Strout and Ann Packer will help draw in browsers .