cover image The Ladies Farm

The Ladies Farm

Viqui Litman. Crown Publishers, $23 (256pp) ISBN 978-0-609-60380-2

Litman's brisk and chatty first novel promises to celebrate women's friendship, but her characters sometimes seem to care more for jewelry and real estate. The ""farm"" of the title is a bed-and-breakfast outside Fort Worth, Tex., where three middle-aged women create a folksy spa, offering their guests homemade recipes, quality hair care and a place to escape (and trade gossip about) men. When the widow Barbara takes a room at the Ladies' Farm, both proprietors and guests fear possible upsetting revelations. Managers Kat and Della both had affairs with Barbara's late husband, Richard, and they worry that their liaisons will be unearthed. Owner Pauline, a loyal confidante who records the secrets she hears in her journals, suffers a heart attack after learning that Barbara had an affair with her late husband, Hugh. Once Pauline sees the amethyst Hugh gave Barbara, Pauline is sure it was Barbara he loved. The B&B, meanwhile, faces financial disaster: Pauline's angry son threatens to close down the Farm to build a gravel pit. Della tries to evaluate Richard's feelings for each of the women in his life by taking the diamonds he gave them to be appraised. Later on, good-natured hairdresser Rita gets married. Litman keeps her story upbeat and on track, showing enthusiasm for her ladies even at their most materialistic. This tribute to female friendship tries hard for humor and charm; readers who enjoy the characters' machinations may be reminded of Robert Harling's stage play and film Steel Magnolias. Others may feel that Litman's tale promises more than its shallow characters can deliver. (Aug.)