One Mountain Away

Despite aslow beginning, Richards (Sunset Bridge) manages to bring readers a well-crafted tale of atonement before death. Utterly alone after years of mistakes ("Knowing what was best for everybody was something I was good at"), Charlotte Hale is diagnosed with leukemia. Facing her mortality, she sets out to redress those mistakes and mend the rift with her daughter, Taylor, a rift that has prevented Charlotte from meeting her granddaughter. Charlotte, who has long craved "power, control, status," begins humbly trying to make amends with small acts of kindness, hoping to achieve her main goal while she still has time. Charlotte is an admirable character, using her newfound powers of self-observation to bring meaning back into her life. Richards creates a heart-wrenching atmosphere that slowly builds to the final pages, and continues to echo after the book is finished. Agent: Steve Axelrod, the Steve Axelrod Agency. (Aug)