I am a huge fan of Chris Bohjalian, so I was happy to receive a copy of his latest, The Amateur, in exchange for my honest review. But when I read that it revolved around golf, I thought “Ohhh-kay,” and figured I would give it a try.

The protagonist and narrator is 18-year-old Mira Winston, a superb golfer who lives ina wealthy suburban enclave, where she is dreaming of and working toward playing as a pro. Then, on a hot August day, she is practicing near the clubhouse when she drives a ball off the tee, and it goes through the practice net and strikes a young caddy in the head, killing him. 

At first, everyone agrees it was a terrible accident, but Mira is totally wrecked by the experience (who wouldn’t be?) She tells us her story with unsparing honesty, and while she isn’t a particularly likeable character, I couldn’t help but root for her. Unfortunately, she makes a boatload of bad choices in search of comfort, and her history of recklessness haunts her when she faces legal consequences…

As usual, Bohjalian writes incredibly well. And. I’ve always been astonished at how he writes female characters – somewhat rare for a male author, IMHO. The reader cannot help but ponder the way one single moment can alter the course of an entire life. 

I’m wanting to not give it away, but there are some surprises in the plotting, and the story moves along so quickly it almost makes you forget the whole golf thing 🙂

With thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review. Five stars once again for Mr. Bohjalian!