Call Me When You Land

When Katie, an artist and single mother, and her teenage son, C.J., inherit a Harley-Davidson Road King from her deceased ex-husband, the household they share with ailing Uncle Walter is disrupted by the fear and excitement that the gift inspires. Not unexpectedly, the motorcycle later plays a role in the death of one character and tempts another to flee. Schiavone’s debut on family discord and tentative restoration is hampered by occasionally awkward prose, flashbacks with overly simple transitions, and an emotional flatness even when tension arises, including alcoholism, unexpected pregnancy, and memories of past traumas. Compounding present-day arguments with background on Katie’s relationships complicates the story, serving mostly to inform. And in a time-honored fashion, the book also concludes with the promise of birth as a symbol of hope. Yet if uneven in its construction and familiar in its form, this novel nonetheless offers a warm reminder that family can weather dramatic problems given patience and time. (Oct.)