The Double Bind

Chris Bohjalian has a new title The Double Bind which is actually a psychiatric term used to describe the theory of the same title. It is thought that contradictive interaction causes schizophrenia. That said....this is a very good novel. This author doesn't skimp on details or character development. This was not the quickest of reads, but it was worth it.

It is the story of Laurel, a young social worker who is employed by a homeless shelter in Vermont. She suffers a traumatic event in her life and this is her story since the event occurred. It is also the story of a homeless man who dies and leaves behind a photographic legacy. Actually, interspersed throughout the book are pictures which were left by a once homeless man who had died in Vermont, which is the setting of the novel.

At the end of the book is a reader's guide. Even if it was not there, this book was destined to be a good choice for a book discussion.

You may remember this author 's Midwives which was an Ophra selection several years ago. He has also written an in-between novel entitled Before You Know Kindness. He has several other novels in his repetoire.

There is a twist at the end which was similar to a book I read many years ago. None-the-less, it surprised me again.

Ladybookbug!