Conjugal Rites

Feldman's bittersweet novel about three sisters in Manhattan sensitively explores their romantic difficulties, as well as their love for one another. Unflappable matrimonial lawyer Emily Brandt confidently deals with clients, yet rarely asserts herself with her mercurial, ""pathologically possessive'' boyfriend Peter. He rages jealously when she assists her ex-husband Jake with his divorce case. While Emily and Jake again drift into romance, Hallie Brandt Fields becomes perturbed by her husband Daniel's indifference. Despite a persistent affection for him and her belief in female self-reliance, Hallie turns to Emily's dapper law partner to affirm her desirability. Hallie and her other sister Laura request Emily's professional guidance when they end their marriages, but legal expertise cannot resolve the crisis engendered by Laura's divorce. This second novel by Feldman (a.k.a. Katherine Walden) has depth, veracity, and haunting scenes suggesting the impersonality of urban life. Foreign rights: ICM. January 23