NAMES IN THE NEWS : Judge Enjoins Novelist’s Son

Happily-ever-after endings are found in some of the novels of best-selling author Belva Plain, but not always in her personal life.

A Superior Court judge on Thursday banned Plain’s 44-year-old son, John, from contacting her or going within four blocks of the homes of his mother and sisters.

Judge Thomas P. Zampino said his ruling did not endorse the conduct of the 74-year-old Plain, author of a string of best sellers including “Evergreen” and “Blessing.” But he also said he could not force a mother-child relationship on the pair.

John Plain has not been allowed in his mother’s home since age 14, when he was sent to a succession of boarding schools and institutions. Plain’s efforts during the past few years to meet his mother and siblings included repeated telephone calls and picketing outside their Short Hills home.