Four Seasons

A familiar formula receives skillful handling in this heartfelt family drama involving three sisters--feisty European model Jilly, authoritative pediatrician Birdie and reclusive Rose Season. Following a lengthy separation, the three gather at their family home in Milwaukee for the funeral of their youngest sister, Merry, who was brain-damaged years earlier in an accident that continues to haunt the sisters. Merry's last request, that they find the baby daughter Jilly was forced to surrender as a teenager, sets the three remaining Seasons on a cross-country journey that will ultimately offer them a chance at personal redemption and self-discovery. Smoothly integrated flashbacks help illuminate long-held family secrets and allow the women to reclaim their childhood affection for each other. Although some of the old mysteries won't be much of a surprise to readers, Monroe (The Book Club) writes with a crisp precision and narrative energy that will keep them turning the pages. Her talent for infusing her characters with warmth and vitality and her ability to spin a tale with emotional depth will earn her a broad spectrum of readers, particularly fans of Barbara Delinsky and Nora Roberts. (Feb.)