Dear Virginia, Wait for Me

A 20-year-old Irish American woman tries to break free from her immigrant parents’ expectations in the undercooked latest from Butler (The Skin Above My Knee). On the eve of 9/11, Peppa Ryan helps to run her family’s construction business in Queens. Her parents expected her to take it over, so they feel betrayed when she begins commuting to a finance job in the World Trade Center, where she works as an assistant for striving Russian immigrant Ivan Scherbo. Soon her parents attempt to control another part of her life, by scheming to match her with Brendon, an Irish plumber who lives in the neighborhood. She’s initially dismissive of Brendon, but they bond over their shared love of Virginia Woolf. Most of the plotlines feel rushed (especially Peppa and Brendon’s relationship), and some are left unresolved, including Peppa’s rocky relationship with her parents and her mental health issues (she is guided by a voice that sounds to her like Woolf’s, which plays a fateful role on the morning of the terror attacks). Butler is better when focusing on Peppa at work, where she finds genuine and much-needed encouragement from Ivan. This has plenty of heart, but it leaves readers wanting more. Agent: Murray Weiss, Catalyst Literary. (May)