Troika

Pelzman’s debut novel is both intriguing and frustrating. At its core is an odd love triangle between Julian, a Russian-born self-made businessman; Sophie, his wheelchair-bound wife; and Perla, the Cuban-American stripper to whom Julian is attracted. The shifting relationships between these characters, and Julian’s flashbacks to his journey from a Siberian orphanage to New York City, are fascinating. But there’s so much backstory that the plot doesn’t start moving forward until the book’s final third. Sophie doesn’t appear before then, and readers may find it difficult to empathize with Sophie, despite her infirmity, when her pretense to selflessness is revealed to be a form of selfishness. Julian and Perla allow themselves to be manipulated by Sophie, who has a deep-seated need for control. Because the writing is so beautiful and powerful and the premise so unusual and interesting, the storytelling choices that don’t work show up even more starkly. Pelzman’s talent and vision are formidable; hopefully, future books will have structures that support the author’s vision and talent. Agent: Victoria Skurnick, Levine Greenberg. (May)