31 Hours by Masha Hamilton

In the opening pages of Masha Hamilton’s suspenseful new novel, Carol lies awake in bed, struck with the certainty that her son is in trouble. She’s right. Jonas is 21, hidden away in a safe house, forbidden from contacting his friends or family, steeling his nerves with prayer. In 31 hours, he is going to walk into a New York City subway station with a bomb strapped to his chest. What follows is a fast paced blur as Carol desperately seeks out anyone who can help her find her son, and as Jonas meditates on the events and ideas that have led him to the safe house. Alongside their voices are those of other New Yorkers – friends and family of Jonas, as well as the potential victims of his attack. Hamilton is at her best when she lets the tiny details of Jonas and Carol’s lives come into sharp focus: the sensations of Jonas’s last meal; the quiet morning rituals of an aging woman living alone. In each moment, Hamilton lets us see the beauty, intricacy, and fragility of human lives.

Check this item out in our catalog.

 Recommended by Sara D.