Hearts of Glass

This slick first novel drafts a trio of glamorous women into a war against alcohol addiction. Charlie, the well-bred wife of up-and-coming congressman Neil Gallagher, hits bottom after her lover dies; Musette, a model turned actress, finds her career collapsing under the weight of booze and a bad marriage; and Gwen, the writer of award-winning novels about black America, is unsure of her own black identity. The three meet at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in New York City and become intimates. Striving toward sobriety, each woman must face some unpleasant truths and come to terms with shifting, sometimes crumbling relationships. Gwen and Charlie try to regain control over their lives, but Musette schemes to get back the man who years before impregnated and abandoned her--Neil Gallagher. Although readers may initially feel they have been manipulated into reading AA propaganda, Jeffords's sure hand with plot keeps the novel smoothly on track. (June)