Dear Otto

Brookhouse's previous novels (Running Out; Wintermute) have been critical, though not commercial, successes. The same may hold true for this one, which may alienate some readers for its spareness but which nonetheless brings to life the complex nature of modern relationships. The central duo here are Sloan, a novelist and teacher, and his wife, Jean, who together host a writing workshop each summer in their isolated retreat bordering an Amish village in Ohio. Beneath the surface of their marriage lurks a web of desire involving three young writers: the confused but talented Margie, the pleasure-seeking Donna and a headstrong young Southerner, Trew. As Sloan finds himself drawn to Margie, Jean is left to contemplate both her marriage to Sloan and her enigmatic relationship with Otto, a man from her past with whom she communicates only by letter. A tragic accident, meanwhile, adds pressure to an already volatile mix of conflicting agendas and cross-purposes. Brookhouse writes in short, brisk sentences to convey the disjointedness of his characters' lives. Despite the novel's brevity, it doesn't feel skimpy as the author delivers a set of finely drawn portraits, set uneasily in motion. (Dec.)