All the Time in the World

Angell’s remarkable debut is a complex story about love, family, grief, the destiny that is handed to us, and the destiny that we choose. Charlotte, a promising young composer whose mentor stole her graduate thesis composition, takes a break from musical pursuits to sort out her life, landing a nanny job in Manhattan with an überwealthy couple, Scotty and Gretchen McLean, who have two little boys, George and Matty. Gretchen’s untimely death is the pivotal event around which the story unfolds as the author moves us back and forth in time. While figuring out her own romantic and professional situation, Charlotte takes care of and grows closer to the boys as Scotty travels for work, and she finds that she’s essential to keeping the family together following Gretchen’s death. Angell’s canny insight into relationships and the demons her characters must face to find satisfaction in their work and personal lives makes this the kind of book readers won’t want to see end. (July)