10 noteworthy books for March

Henríquez’s ambitious historical novel revolves around the construction of the Panama Canal. When teenage Omar, who defied his father to take a digging job, collapses on-site, young Ada, a stowaway from Barbados, rushes to help. A scientist who witnesses her act of kindness hires her on the spot to care for his ailing wife, sparking a sweeping saga involving the laborers, fishmongers, activists, journalists and neighbors whose lives intersect during this significant time in history. (Ecco, March 5)

The dozen big-box warehouse workers on “Team Movement” always clock in by 4 a.m. — many at their first of two or three jobs that day — and start a highly choreographed routine to unload the delivery truck and stock the sales floor before customers arrive. When their beloved store manager announces his departure and kicks off a search for his replacement, the group realizes banding together to encourage the promotion of their difficult, micromanaging supervisor might get her out of their hair. Waldman, best-selling author of “The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.,” endearingly portrays the struggles and dreams of everyday people who are trying to make life a little better. (W.W. Norton, March 5)

Paul, a lifelong adventurer and the author of “The Gutsy Girl,” has not slowed with age. But, at 60, she noticed that many of her female peers had hung up their skateboards and surfboards. Eager to show that exhilaration is not the domain of youth, she delves into the personal stories and scientific evidence that prove spending time in nature supports vitality. Paul’s anecdotes, featuring a 52-year-old BASE jumper who parachutes off cliffs, a BMX rider in her 70s and a nonagenarian hiker, among others, reveal women who enjoy the confidence and happiness that come from embracing the outdoors. (Bloomsbury, March 5)

With nods to “Notting Hill” and “The Notebook,” Scotch’s latest second-chance romance follows movie star Birdie Robinson — newly dethroned from her reign as America’s sweetheart — as she flees to her hometown after a publicity nightmare. In her childhood bedroom she discovers an unsigned love letter from a regretful ex-boyfriend, one who knows her well enough to know her real name, Birdie Maxwell. Spotting an image-rehab opportunity, Birdie decides to embark on a road trip in a rickety RV, visiting each ex until she finds the one who wants another shot at love. When her best friend’s brother (and her first crush), Elliot, now a star reporter, offers to tag along and chronicle her journey for the press, their scheme to revive her reputation takes them to unexpected places. (Berkley, March 5)

During Arden’s childhood, her mother, Virginia, spent years unsuccessfully suing the estate of Arden’s father — a married billionaire who suddenly died without a will — for the money she believed was her daughter’s birthright. Years later, Arden, widowed with three children, is deeply in debt and struggling to pay bills when an estate lawyer calls with an opportunity that could solve her financial woes, but would mean reopening both the inheritance case and emotional scars. Goodman’s thought-provoking novel forces the two women to reevaluate the past and present, and determine what they both want for the future. (Harper Paperbacks, March 12)

Javier Perez’s friends wanted to emulate his tough-as-nails father, a drug dealer in the Bronx, but Javi always wanted to be a writer. Writing a college admissions essay gives him his first glimpse of how selectively highlighting stories about his troubled background and the color of his skin might open doors. After graduation, his writing draws the eye of the national media, but the opportunity to write personal stories centered on trauma and racism leads him to escalate from stretching the truth to telling outright lies. Boryga’s experiences as a journalist making a name for himself just as society was grappling with diversity inform this razor-sharp satire of the ways race and class can be exploited. (Doubleday, March 12)

During Easter weekend, responsible daughter Joy is preparing for her mother’s 70th birthday celebration. But then, Mama Mary doesn’t wake up from her nap. Refusing to believe her sister has died, Joy’s Auntie Nancy declares Mary will rise like Lazarus, and before long the Nigerian Canadian community is gathering in prayerful anticipation of the upcoming miracle. Meanwhile, Joy is subsuming her grief into arranging an unwanted funeral and navigating the chaos of a large family in crisis. Onomé richly portrays the family’s relationships as they come together to share in both heartbreak and hope. (Atria, March 12)

Ex-cop-turned-PI Jim Beely had never killed anyone until his teenage daughter was assaulted. With a body in his back seat, he makes a deal to cover up his crime with a cop, Frank Tvrdik, who in return wants help exposing a crooked politician. Frank and Jim’s tenuous collaboration pulls them into Omaha’s seedy underbelly during Prohibition, where double crosses are as plentiful as booze at a speakeasy. Thornton’s snappy dialogue and darkly cynical characters deliver pitch-perfect historical noir. (MCD, March 12)

Thrash’s stirring debut novel is told from the perspective of Lacey, the 13-year-old daughter of hippie day-care owners who were falsely accused of ritual child abuse during the 1990s satanic panic. Part mystery, part unsparing social commentary and part queer love story, Lacey’s personal history reads a little like Demon Copperhead’s — if he were a lesbian in New Hampshire. As an adult, she has the outward appearance of success — a challenging job, devotion to a loving partner — but when a slight miscalculation opens the door to her past, the barely suppressed trauma comes rushing back and threatens to disrupt her carefully constructed life. (Harper Perennial, March 19)

Growing up prone to injury, Atkin didn’t have the words to explain the way her contrarian body seemed to move through the world at its own pace, leaving her feeling constantly out of sync with herself. She suffered regular fractures, dislocations and debilitating fatigue, while struggling to convey the extent of her disability to her loved ones and doctors. When she was in her 30s, the relief of a diagnosis finally arrived: a hereditary connective-tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (the same condition shared by best-selling author Rebecca Yarros). The diagnosis, which brought a sense of relief but no cure, allowed Atkin to learn to peacefully coexist with a body she had never trusted. In her contemplative memoir, she encourages everyone, especially those with chronic illnesses, to look beyond their own history and see the beauty in their world. (Unnamed Press, March 19)