The Courtship

Mittman (Sweeter Than Wine) who does sweet historical romance to perfection, delivers her finest in this gentle tale. In late 19th-century San Francisco, Charlotte Whittier, one of California's first lady lawyers, and her wheelchair-bound husband, Cabot, share a platonic, loveless marriage. It was a fusing of brilliant minds that had been enough for Charlotte until Cabot's brother, Ash, returned home, awakening feelings she never knew she had. When Ash is accused of arson and manslaughter, he turns to his brother for legal representation, a move that may be ill-advised, as Cabot holds him responsible for his crippling accident. Charlotte is torn by her growing resentment toward Cabot (who treats her like an errant child and serves up the family peacock for supper), by her work for women's and children's rights and her forbidden love for Ash. Mittman's characters are, as always, endearing and well-developed, but here, she enriches her story by giving them seemingly insurmountable obstacles. (Jan.)