Days of Wonder

The haphazard latest from Leavitt (With or Without You) begins with 22-year-old Ella receiving an early release from a New York state prison after her conviction at 15 for the attempted murder of her boyfriend’s father. Her mother, Helen, hopes to rehabilitate her daughter by providing “fierce love.” Ella, however, is focused on finding the baby she gave up for adoption shortly after her incarceration. Her search takes her to Ann Arbor, Mich., where, in one of the novel’s many implausible turns, she begins writing an advice column for a local newspaper. As she gets on her feet, she tries to befriend her daughter’s adoptive parents while keeping her own identity a secret. The present-day story of Ella’s quest alternates with sections centered on her teenage boyfriend, Jude, a wealthy, unhappy boy whose father physically abuses him. Leavitt provides depth by exploring Ella and Helen’s complicated and sometimes conflicting maternal feelings, but her propulsive narrative is marred by a melodramatic conclusion and perplexing anachronisms (“evidence at Ella’s trial involved a tea made of poisonous foxglove”). This fails to make the most of its potent ingredients. (Apr.)