I Know This Much is True

[Nancy]

I turned to my daughter to get one for this category. We've both now rated it 5 stars. It's almost 900 pages long, and it's such a compelling companion that I read it in four days. There's a short story woven into the main story and both are page-turners.

Dominick Birdsey, an identical twin, is a fragile vessel struggling to stay afloat on an agitated sea (even the real-life hurricane that makes a brief appearance in the novel is no match for the intense upheavals caused by events in Dominick's life). His relationship with his brother Thomas alternates between love and hate with an almost rhythmic cycle, whose volatility is enhanced by the efforts Dominick makes to fulfill his promise to his mother to look after the troubled Thomas.

The events surrounding one of the character's mental illness are narrated with an authentic voice that enlightens and satisfies. And the endings are all definitive; even a mystery that I was sure wouldn't be resolved was unwound. You won't put this book down with a "huh?".

For me, another successful venture into the little-visited realm of fiction. I do love this challenge!

11/50(52)