The Double Bind- Chris Bohjalian
When college sophomore Laurel Estabrook is attacked while riding her bicycle through Vermont’s back roads, her life is forever changed. Formerly outgoing, Laurel withdraws into her photography and begins to work at a homeless shelter. There she meets Bobbie Crocker, a man with a history of mental illness and a box of photographs that he won’t let anyone see. When Bobbie dies suddenly, Laurel discovers that he was telling the truth: before he was homeless, Bobbie Crocker was a successful photographer who had indeed worked with such legends as Chuck Berry, Robert Frost, and Eartha Kitt.
As Laurel’s fascination with Bobbie’s former life begins to merge into obsession, she becomes convinced that some of his photographs reveal a deeply hidden, dark family secret. Her search for the truth will lead her further from her old life—and into a cat-and-mouse game with pursuers who claim they want to save her.
In this spellbinding literary thriller, rich with complex and compelling characters—including Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan—Chris Bohjalian takes readers on his most intriguing, most haunting, and most unforgettable journey yet.
As well known of an author Chris Bohjalian is I've never read one of his books. I have a couple of them on my shelves that are waiting to be read though, and that puts a smile on my face. Why? Well, because I absolutely loved The Double Bind. For some reason I wasn't surprised by how well the story was. There had to be a reason why he has written so many books.
There are a couple of reasons why this book is now a favorite of mine. I really enjoyed how he incorporated one of my favorite books The Great Gatsby in the story. In fact, he made it almost the center of the story....well a huge part of it at least. Bringing in this element, he was able to move the plot along smoothly and timely. I'm not one that likes a book filled with fillers, and the writing was great in that I found there wasn't any. Everything written in the book served a purpose. The mystery aspect was a page turner, and the ending brilliant. The characters were also solid, and believable.
I won't go into what the story was about because the synopsis above tells all you need to know, and I don't think I can dive into the story without giving away to much information.
Looking forward to reading more of his work. I would definitely recommend this book. Enjoy it!
PRODUCT DETAILS
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400047463
ISBN-13: 978-1400047468
I've been meaning to read this one forever! Great review! I'll definitely need to try harder to get to it soon. =)
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