A riveting second novel by Will Allison, author of the acclaimed What You Have Left. A happily married suburban father makes a mistake that results in a teenager's death and sends his own life into a devastating tailspin. Written as a confessional letter, the book is a fascinating and moving cautionary tale that explores the moral ambiguities of personal responsibility as it chronicles a father’s desperate attempt to explain himself to his daughter—even though he knows that in doing so, he risks losing her forever. (Goodreads)
It sure was a long drive home for Glen Bauer! Too bad he wasn't carrying a four leaf clover or a rabbit's foot, poor man! What seemed to be any ol' day became a nightmare ... all because he gave into road rage.
After being accosted and emasculated by a stranger in front of his six year old daughter, Glen was understandably left hot under the collar and it spilled over to the rest of his drive home. Which eventually lead him to decide to teach another driver a lesson that consequently ended in fatality. Yikes! That sparked another human emotion, fear. He didn't want to go to jail so he had to lie, he had to omit details ... he had to cover up. And the twist was his wife's solution to the problem. How crazy was that?!
What's catchy about this book was that it gave the reader a shock/scare factor. The reader is left questioning himself ...like, "Goodness, that could happen to me but surely I wouldn't have gone that far in the hole, right?" or "Once I make a mistake I own up to it, right?". Scary indeed. Our decisions make us.
I've got mixed feeling about the brevity of the novel. The story did give insights to human emotions in its characters but it left me wanting more. I'm not sure I like the abrupt ending to let the reader mull over the moral lesson kind of ending. Something was amiss for me but I can't explain exactly what. Maybe I want to know what Sara ended up thinking. Perhaps there is a sequel? ;)
Overall, a small book that packs a big punch!
Posts
Road rage is interesting because I've seen normally very calm considerate people go crazy once they are in a car and there is a bit of traffic. Sounds like a thought provoking book.
ReplyDelete