Sing for Me

Schreck makes an impressive debut in this historical romance set in Depression-era Chicago. Rose Sorensen has a beautiful voice and sings in her Baptist church. But she loves jazz music, and when her cousin Rob maneuvers her into going to a South Side jazz club, Rose is hooked, deeply conflicted, and startled to realize she’s attracted to Theo, an African-American jazz pianist, as well as to his music. Familial and social barriers loom large between Rose and the desires of her heart. Schreck has done good historical homework and makes her central characters emotionally credible and magnetic. Elements of pathos (Rose has a disabled sister) occasionally and less imaginatively propel the plot, but on the whole this is a well-wrought and edifying page-turner. Agent: Sandra Bishop, MacGregor Literary Agency. (Apr. 8)