The Book of Essie

Weir’s topical but uneven debut chronicles what happens to 17-year-old Esther “Essie” Hicks—one of the children featured on the reality show Six for Hicks, who have grown up in front of conservative, religious television viewers—after she becomes pregnant. Essie’s father may be a famous evangelical preacher, but her ruthless mother, Celia, runs the family empire from behind the scenes. When her family discovers Essie is pregnant, it’s decided that she should marry, but whom? Essie slyly convinces Celia that Roarke Richards, captain of the high school baseball team, would be a perfect addition to the Hicks family. Roarke dislikes the Hicks family’s hypocrisy, but the offer of money for marriage will save his family from bankruptcy, pay for college, and financially secure his future. He is surprised that Essie knows his secret—he is gay—and only reluctantly agrees with her plan, but eventually he becomes a willing accomplice. Aiding the two is reporter Liberty Bell, who watched her sister die in a Ruby Ridge–like raid. Liberty’s history complements Essie’s present, but the author nonetheless struggles to fit her into the story. Weir’s narrative features some finely nuanced characters, but its villains lack dimension, which makes the ethical gymnastics Essie and her crew endure before the denouement more absurd than necessary. Though not without its faults, this is nevertheless an incisive novel. (June)