Book Review - The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalin

The Double Bind is a novel from Chris Bohjalian who wrote another book, one of my “Best Reads” called Skeletons  At The Feast.  

Fact and fiction become indistinguishable in The Double Bind.  The story centers on Laurel Estabrook, a young social worker and survivor of a near-rape, who stumbles across photographs taken by a formerly homeless client and tries to understand how a man who'd taken snapshots of celebrities in the 50s and 60s might have wound up on the streets.  When Bobbie passes away he leaves no possessions other than a box of old photographs. Since Laurel has some knowledge of photography, her supervisor suggests she find out a little about the photos and have an art show for the agency’s benefit. Little does she know, just how much Laurel is about to discover.

I can’t really break down too much of the story because of how intertwined it is and this book is too good to have it ruined by a review.  You may feel once you've reached the last page, you want to go back to page one and begin again. I say this not because it's a bad story, but because it's that good. The twisted ending which leaves you compelled to go back and absorb the story again, which I plan to do.

The book contains black and white pictures that were taken by once homeless man named Bob “Soupy” Campbell.  The pictures are real but the story about Bobbie Crocker is fictional and Chris Bohjalian does an amazing job creating unforgettable characters.