Surviving the Season

Jake and Sara Pearlman are spending their twilight years in Palm Beach, where bridge, golf and close analysis of the problems of children and grandchildrentheir own and their friends' substitute for the busyness of youth. Flashbacks to their Bronx beginnings and later, more elegant surroundings, flesh-out a portrait of solid family life, not always smooth but never at risk, that will build toward graceful old age and compatible retirement. Jake is a fine creationwitty, warm and thoughtfulbut when he suddenly dies Sara copes admirably, wasting no time on self-pity, thus endearing herself to friends, family and, in rather short order, to Harry Elkind, whose wife June has died too. Sara is so much more resourceful and independent than June that the reader waits impatiently for the clearly ordained meeting of the newly widowed pair. While the plethora of characters and the intimate glimpses of couples interacting and tackling their troubles undeniably reflect the human condition, vast stretches of dialogue are trivial and the events recorded predictable. But Kupfer's accurate rendering of ordinary daily life possesses a validity that will keep many readers engrossed. First serial to Ladies' Home Journal; author tour. (September)