A Cup of Tea: A Novel of 1917

Ephron turns the notion of the good Samaritan on its head in a bauble of a tale about altruism gone horribly wrong. In New York City in 1917, well-to-do Rosemary Fell offers indigent Eleanor Smith tea, sympathy and shelter from the rain. Little does she suspect what sort of Pandora's box her somewhat patronizing generosity will open. After a friend of Rosemary's helps Eleanor find work in a millinery shop, it's Eleanor's destiny to become romantically involved with Rosemary's fiance, self-made Philip Alsop, as the U.S. prepares to go to war and duty-driven Philip prepares to do his part. Ephron (Bruised Fruit, etc.) alludes to the cataclysmic events about to occur, pitting sense against instinct as Philip leaves not one but two home fires burning brightly behind him. All of the period detail is correct right down to the last street lamp, but the book reads more like a treatment than a fully imagined novel. Ephron gives us a rich situation and a carefully drawn setting filled with recognizable types. But she gives us no character. Even for a lightly satiric period romance, this cup of tea is too thin and watery. Author tour. (Aug.)