Ivory Bright

With true love comes the need to compromise, or so Ford says in this beguiling novel. Ivory Bright is 31, with an asymmetrical face, a wardrobe culled from thrift shops, and an indomitable spirit. Raymond Bartlett is a stuffy, 53-year-old bank manager who has been cared for since his teens by his housekeeper. Lillian. Told from the points of view of these three characters, the story chronicles not only the blossoming of love and passion between Ivory and Raymond, but also the bewilderment of those they inevitably leave behind. Lillian's sense of purpose in caring for Raymond is betrayed; Ivory's family must learn to manage without her cheerful pragmatism. And ultimately, Ivory and Raymond must learn to be together, to confront and, somehow, bridge the gulf of age and outlook that separates them. Although the characters are likable and believable, Ford (The Playhouse and Missed Connections, seems unsure where to take her story. The moralistic and abrupt ending falls short of the promise of the opening chapters. (May 5)