In a Book Club Far Away

Marcelo captivates in this endearing story about the bonds of friendship between three Army wives whose goodwill is tested after a falling out. Adelaide Wilson-Chang summons two old friends to her new home in Virginia. She first met Sophie Walden, a levelheaded, straightforward African American nurse, and Regina Castro, an extroverted Filipina caterer who wears her heart on her sleeve, in a book club while their families were stationed together in upstate New York. Now Adelaide readies for gallbladder surgery and plots to reconcile Sophie and Regina, who haven’t spoken to each other in nearly a decade. Regina now grapples with a sinking catering business in Georgia and a budding online romance with a baker who lives in Alexandria, Va. Sophie wrestles with being on the brink of becoming an empty nester and her retired military husband’s new civilian career and life. Adelaide also struggles with whether to have more children or launch her interior design career. Despite initial resistance, Sophie and Regina agree to help for the sake of Adelaide’s young child. Making good use of Army life as the backdrop, Marcelo skillfully layers the narrative with the three women’s points of view, capturing both their singular and collective worlds. Themes of friendship, forgiveness, and women’s independence make this propulsive, feel-good story a gem. Agent: Rachel Brooks, Book Ends Literary. (Apr.)