THE HIDDEN CONNECTION

Berenson’s debut novel explores the worlds of antiques dealing, traveling and the difficulties of sustaining a decadeslong relationship.

Travel agent Joan and her freelance journalist boyfriend, George, have been living together in New York City for over 20 years and in a boring rut for about half that. Joan’s love for Asian art leads her to purchase what she believes is an incredibly valuable Chinese vase, which she gives to her friend Mark for safekeeping. Shortly thereafter, she decides to buy a plane ticket to Istanbul, temporarily putting a stop to her floundering relationship with George, leaving him with only a terse note in their apartment. Before she leaves for her trip, she sells a plane ticket to a dark, handsome man named Anthony Malfeaso, who later mysteriously turns up on her world travels. Joan’s determination to change her life doesn’t preclude having an affair, but is Anthony whom he seems? More importantly, why did Joan’s latest vase go missing from her friend’s apartment? With its direct, plainspoken prose—“Wait a minute, I reflected as I ate, what am I thinking? This is all happening so fast”—and linear plotting, the book has a tendency to oversimplify character interactions. For all of their flaws, characters aren’t very dynamic, which has a flattening effect on scenes that could be underscored by tension and suspense. As Joan’s interactions with Anthony become more complex, her one-foot-in-front-of-the-other approach to life tends to take away the mystery of how the situation will ultimately resolve itself. That means, for better or worse, that Berenson doesn’t leave any loose ends. On top of that, the tendency to use unimaginative declarative sentences slows the book’s narrative pacing considerably: “What was most important was that he was a very smart scholar. He often helped me identify pieces. I respected his opinion. He knew I was trying to learn from him and that I eventually wanted to be a dealer. We had met at one of the many classes I had taken. He was the teacher.” However, once these initial obstacles are scaled, the book’s tour through deception, theft and the renewal of passion makes for a decent read.

A straightforward, ultimately satisfying story about a middle-aged woman rediscovering passion on an international adventure.