Reservation Road - John Burnham Schwartz

A novel of literary suspense which examines the disintegration of 2 families after the accidental death of 1 of their sons. Set in surburban Massachusetts, a story of 2 families whose lives permanently intertwined when 1 father, Dwight accidentally killsJosh, 10 year old son of Ethan & Grace, in a hit & run on Reservation road. The novel tells the parallel stories of Dwight, his 10 year old son, Sam, ex-wife Ruth and her new husband Norris, and the mourners : academic English Professor Ethan, wife Grace, a garden designer and 8 year old daughter Emma, as we wait for Dwight to confess or be discovered. During his life his wife had an affair and left him, getting custody of his son Sam, seeing only after 7pm on sundays. On the fateful day, Dwight and Sam late coming home from a baseball game, so driving fast. Same day Ethan's family went to concert and had stopped at garage for toilet. Son drifted into road and was killed instantly when hit by Dwight. Ethan only sees a car with 1 headlight and a man calling out a word like sam or slam.. Ethan is fixated on revenge, while police give up. With Dwight on brink of suicide, Ethan befriends Dwights son, who gives his faather away. Ethan confonts Dwight in the snow in the mmiddle of the night An incredibly powerful and suspenseful novel. The characters are extremely strong and become increasingly complicated and connecyed to 1 another in the most accomplished, spare and moving way.