Flat Water Tuesday: A Novel
While in rehab, John writes to his old crew buddy, Rob, and alludes to a tragic event that took place while they were at school. Upon receiving the letter, Rob is taken back to his days at Fenton, an upscale boarding school where he rowed on the school’s elite, four-man crew team. In this beautifully dark drama, Irwin artfully weaves a tale that shifts back and forth in time from Rob’s crewing days at Fenton to his present life as a filmmaker for National Geographic. The structure of the story—­starting at the end and slowly unraveling the events that lead up to the ­climax—helps create tension and propels the reader forward, seeking to discover what went so terribly awry. The characters are well drawn and complex. Rob is a flawed but ultimately sympathetic man who habitually flees from situations that he can’t handle emotionally. Rowing plays a critical element in the book, but even those who are uninterested in the sport will find themselves gripped by this compelling story of coming to terms with the past. --Eve Gaus