What We Leave Behind

The lukewarm latest from Halpern (What We Leave Behind) follows two women struggling to maintain their sense of self during a time of upheaval. Melody, 17, has just lost her adoptive mother in a freak car accident. Her father, Eddie, is paralyzed by grief, leaving Melody to mourn in her own way. Having lived in foster care as a young girl, she’s angry at the lack of clarity about her origins. She rebels, threatening to forgo college to work on an organic farm. A parallel narrative centers on 40-something Candace, an unmarried HR professional. When her company moves from New York City to Connecticut, she buys a house where she hosts Thanksgiving with friends, during which a guest rescues her neighbor, Tom, after he falls through the ice on a nearby pond. As Candace and Tom become friends and discover a romantic spark, she’s forced to confront the limits of her desire for independence. Conveniently, Tom and Eddie were college buddies, so Halpern manages to link Melody’s and Candace’s stories. Halpern is a master wordsmith, but the narrative itself offers few surprises. This fails to make much of an impact. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management. (June)