STEALING THE FIRE

Dealing with loss is the common theme that runs through Ciabattari's solid debut collection, a wide-ranging exploration that begins in the title story, as a woman tries to cope with the death of her father, a prominent author and professor. Vowing to find her own voice as a writer, she experiences a sense of renewal in the midst of her grief and desolation. Loss permeates the best story in the collection, "A Pilgrimage," which describes the journey of a middle-aged California widow to El Salvador on a mission of mercy as she tries to help a teenager by bringing the girl's mother to the U.S. Caught up and captured in the civil war, she experiences a brutal loss of innocence, but also a new commitment to life. Post-relationship losses get thoughtful treatment as well, most notably in "Once in a Blue Moon," in which a woman reconnects musically with her ex when she encounters him performing at a Montreal blues concert. Ciabattari is equally sensitive to male protagonists, first in the wild "Payback Time," as a Silicon Valley executive gets hustled and then ousted from his job in a fast-paced, fast-lane deal, and more quietly in "Wintering in Montauk," as a young man approaching his 30th birthday returns home to his parent's house on Long Island to confront a string of failures. Ciabattari displays a deft sense of control throughout, balancing character, dialogue and scene construction with assurance. While the general motif makes some of the tales relatively predictable, she does offer more interesting twists and turns as the collection unfolds. This book makes a strong first step toward earning both an audience and critical praise for Ciabattari. Agent, Ellen Levine. (May)