WAVEMAKER II

Set in the summer of 1964, Hughes's lyrical, poignant debut chronicles the erosion of the tightly knit Clemens family after Will, dutiful husband and father of two, is imprisoned for withholding testimony in an investigation of the activities of controversial attorney Roy Cohn. As the narrative alternates points of view, Kay, Will's despondent wife, spends her time mulling over her husband's predicament, caring for young son Bo—who's stricken with cancer in a New York hospital—and juggling needy daughter Lou-Lou, who's growing up too fast at the family's home in lazy oceanfront Rumson, N.J. As Will is distanced further from Kay and is sentenced to a year in jail, the grateful Cohn comes to the Clemenses' aid by enlisting his personal friend Dr. Bronson to help with Bo's case. A seasoned medical professional, Bronson tries a new procedure, using Will's stem cells to successfully treat Bo's disease. In succinct, clipped sentences, Hughes relays the intricate, heart-wrenching details of Bo's sickness and gives an account of Will's jailhouse days, which are filled with distrust and danger. Cohn, historically painted as a monster, is portrayed here as compassionate and appreciative of Will's allegiance; once Will is acquitted of his charges, Roy becomes an instant part of the Clemens clan. Hughes's slice of mid-20th-century culture is fascinating, and her fictional recreation of the notorious Cohn, though many will find it implausible, is highly original. Indeed, Cohn's unique characterization adds some much-needed heft to a somewhat undernourished plot. But even when Cohn is not on stage, the story remains moving and vital. Agent, Melanie Jackson.(Feb.)