The Imperfects

A family is embroiled in conflict in Meyerson’s cracking tale (after The Bookshop of Yesterdays) about a precious family heirloom. Ninety-two-year-old Helen Auerbach has died, leaving only a brooch to her granddaughter Rebecca “Beck” Miller. Beck and her siblings are unhappy that Helen left her modest home to their mother, Deborah, who was raised without a father and who lost Beck’s trust by piling up credit card debt in her name. However, when the large jewel at the center of the brooch turns out to be the famous Florentine diamond, worth as much as $10 million, Beck agrees to split the proceeds of any sale among the habitually argumentative siblings and their mother. The plot thickens when news of the diamond spills into the public, after which many try to stake a claim, including the Austrian and Italian governments. As Beck, her siblings, and her mother look for evidence to prove the diamond belongs to them, they learn of Helen’s escape from Nazi Germany at age 14 and the truth about Deborah’s father. Meyerson makes the family arguments deliciously realistic, and her gradual uncovering of the heirloom’s secrets will keep readers turning the pages. This well-spun tale is a charming reminder that familial reconciliation can be worth a fortune. (May)