Through the Bookstore Window

January 8, 2018
San Francisco bookstore manager Gina Perini, the heroine of this tangled tale set in 2011 from Petrocelli (The Circle of Thirteen), escaped from war-torn Bosnia in 1996, but her past still haunts her. In particular, she wants to know the fate of Jelena, a missing Bosnian baby. Thanks to the research of a lawyer friend, Gina discovers that Jelena, now 15-year-old Alexi Wilder, is living in Indianapolis, Ind., with her foster parents, Allen and Susan Wilder. Gina makes an impulsive trip to Indianapolis, where she meets Susan and sees Alexi but doesn’t introduce herself. Back in San Francisco, she emails Alexi, who responds with a plea that prompts her to return to Indianapolis to rescue the girl from her abusive father. Gina takes Alexi home to San Francisco, where she explains their surprising relationship. Unbeknownst to the other, Susan and Allen each hire someone to track down Gina and Alexi, setting the stage for a violent showdown. Petrocelli overplays coincidences in a convulsive conclusion that wraps things up too neatly. Nonetheless, he provides some important lessons about love and survival.