Acts of Atonement

Second in a two-book series on the rewards--and the price--of rebellion. Serach Gottesman--the sheltered but headstrong daughter of a rigidly Ultra-Orthodox Jewish family and Paloma Rodriguez--the tough, ambitious daughter of an even tougher Latina immigrant mother, meet in the first book and (unable to resist one another) launch a forbidden romance. The story now picks up ten years later. Successfully pursuing their careers, ensconced in their big Flatbush Victorian home, delighting in the city's diverse riches, hobnobbing with famous musicians--they've built a loving and satisfying life for themselves. Serach has made peace with all that she's had to sacrifice--her faith, her old neighborhood, her beloved baby brother--to follow the path that she's chosen. Paloma has become highly adept at deflecting her older brother's resentment (and her own guilt) at how far she's come since leaving the South Bronx behind her. And then things happen. An unexpected death. A seductive opportunity. A