Love and Gravity

Andrea is seven the first time the music from her cello opens a window into the past. From that moment she is haunted by glimpses of the boy she sometimes sees looking back at her through her wall when she plays. As she gets older, her obsession turns to love, and she scorns the affection of her best friend, Nate, to chase a shadow of a relationship with the man who she learns is Isaac Newton himself. The book is hard to put down, driven by the mystery of the portal and the clues delivered as if by magic at just the right moments. Readers familiar with the historical Newton’s famous lack of interest in women or marriage may be uncomfortable with his portrayal as the focus of Andrea’s passion. Those who enjoy science fiction with romantic flavor will enjoy the clever twists and turns, but romance purists will be disappointed when the heroine’s inability to commit to either Nate or Isaac leads to a series of awkward narrative compromises and an unsatisfying ending. Agent: Stephanie Kip Rostan, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary. (Feb.)