LastNightinTwistedRiver

In1954，inthecookhouseofaloggingandsawmillsettlementinnorthernNewHampshire，ananxioustwelve-year-oldboymistakesthelocalconstable’sgirlfriendforabear.Boththetwelve-year-oldandhisfatherbecomefugitives，forcedtorunfromCoosCounty–toBoston，tosouthernVermont，toToronto–pursuedbytheimplacableconstable.Theirloneprotectorisafiercelylibertarianlogger，onceariverdriver，whobefriendsthem.Inastoryspanningfivedecades，LastNightinTwistedRiver–JohnIrving’stwelfthnovel–depictstherecenthalf-centuryintheUnitedStatesas“alivingreplicaofCoosCounty，wherelethalhatredsweregenerallypermittedtoruntheircourse.”Fromthenovel’stautopeningsentence–“TheyoungCanadian，whocouldnothavebeenmorethanfifteen，hadhesitatedtoolong”–toitselegiacfinalchapter，LastNightinTwistedRiveriswrittenwiththehistoricalauthenticityandemotionalauthorityofTheCiderHouseRulesandAPrayerforOwenMeany.ItisalsoasviolentanddisturbingastoryasJohnIrving’sbreakthroughbestseller，TheWorldAccordingtoGarp.WhatfurtherdistinguishesLastNightinTwistedRiveristheauthor’sunmistakablevoice–theinimitablevoiceofanaccomplishedstoryteller.Neartheendofthismovingnovel，JohnIrvingwrites：“Wedon’talwayshaveachoicehowwegettoknowoneanother.Sometimes，peoplefallintoourlivescleanly–asifoutofthesky，orasiftherewereadirectflightfromHeaventoEarth–thesamesuddenwaywelosepeople，whoonceseemedtheywouldalwaysbepartofourlives.”