How to Survive a Natural Disaster

Hawkins observes the complexities of modern family living from several perspectives (one of which is a three-legged dog) in her uneven latest, at the center of which is Roxanne, the divorced single mother of April and newly adopted mother of Peruvian daughter May. Also in Roxanne's domestic orbit are Mr. Cosmo, a dog; tough-cookie Grandma Jack; and Craig, her wandering significant other, all of whom are given a say. May, mute until age seven, is the strongest voice as she deciphers the secret lives of her family members, even as their suburban Chicago lives look bright from the outside. An unfortunate choice in structure, though, makes this a slog to read: Hawkins (A Year of Cats and Dogs) dawdles her way through a narrative that is essentially a round-robin of backstory before arriving, very late in the game, at a plot development. Languid storytelling and uninspired plotting undermine what could be an enticing family drama. (Sept.)