Up Through the Water

North Carolina's Ocracoke Island is the setting of this intriguing and poetic novel focusing on Emily, who leaves her longtime lover for a newcomer to the community, and on her 16-year-old son, Eddie, an impatient virgin. ``Steinke's imagery is at once vivid and delicate,'' said PW , although ``too many moments overimbued with meaning lead nowhere, and characters remain shadowy.'' (Aug.)