From the Bookshelf of Bookmarks Subscribers …

Chris Bohjalian's Midwives was an Oprah pick in 1998, and now his 11th novel, The Double Bind, has been designated a February BookSense Pick. While critics praise the novel's suspense and complexity, most take issue with the surprise ending that depends on arguably inadequate foreshadowing and the belated disclosure of the narrator's unreliability. Some reviewers commend The Great Gatsby connection, while others, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, contend that the inclusion seems superfluous a

Chris Bohjalian's Midwives was an Oprah pick in 1998, and now his 11th novel, The Double Bind, has been designated a February BookSense Pick. While critics praise the novel's suspense and complexity, most take issue with the surprise ending that depends on arguably inadequate foreshadowing and the belated disclosure of the narrator's unreliability. Some reviewers commend The Great Gatsby connection, while others, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, contend that the inclusion seems superfluous and contrived. Though most critics appreciate the psychological insights and cultural questions the novel raises regarding mental illness and homelessness, ultimately, many feel manipulated by the novel's questionable narrative devices.

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.