THE DISCONTINUITY OF SMALL THINGS

Nazi-occupied Denmark provides a tumultuous backdrop for this thoroughly imagined debut that chronicles a chapter of the Holocaust from the perspective of a range of Copenhagen citizens. Meet Hannah Bergstrom, the pensive daughter of a once-wealthy Jewish businessman who has begun to question her bourgeois upbringing, embrace Zionism and dream of life in the Promised Land. Aging fisherman Carl Jensen spies troubling events along the unforgiving coastline, culminating during a late-night trawl when he witnesses a luxury liner conveying Jewish passengers from Norway to Germany. His wife, Jette, has suffered three miscarriages and hopes to adopt a baby from fleeing Jews. Haworth also builds suspense with supporting characters, including two young medical students, Henrik and Bakman, one heroic and one fearful, whose roles gradually expand as they plot to keep Danish Jews safe from escalating Nazi atrocities. This engrossing historical novel details a bright spot in a dark era, and readers will be heartened by good-hearted Danes' everyday heroic deeds. Agent, Michele Rubin. (May)