What Happened to the McCrays?

In Lange’s touching latest (after The Connellys of County Down), auto mechanic Kyle McCray flies back to Potsdam, N.Y., from Spokane, Wash., after his father has a stroke. His ex-wife, Casey, whom he’s still in love with, lives across the street from his father’s house, and he feels sad and angry to learn another mechanic has been working on her ’84 Bronco. The discovery forces him to come to terms with another man in her life, even though her relationship with the mechanic isn’t romantic. Casey, a teacher who’s been emotionally withdrawn from others since the events leading to Kyle’s departure, appears to be wrestling with unresolved feelings as well. A former ice hockey star, Kyle agrees to coach the embattled junior hockey team at Casey’s school, a setting that offers a path toward redemption and also brings up painful memories. The novel’s emotional range is impressive, particularly the slow-burn rekindling between its two leads, and snowy, close-knit Potsdam comes to life. Readers in search of a perceptive and rewarding family drama need look no further. Agent: Stephanie Cabot, Susanna Lea Assoc. (Jan.)