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Gerard Freeman has been obsessed with his overprotective mother's romanticized version of the past. As a child, he would enjoy listening to her vivid recollections of her small town life in the British village of Staplefield, always wondering why she moved to Australia. His first glimpse was when, as a child, he got caught by his mother opening a forbidden dresser drawer holding keys to her past. This caused a permanent rift between them, ending their close relationship. The only person Gerard had to turn to was his British penpal Alice Jessel, a girl of around his age whom he has never met, but who provides an essence of mystery consuming him for all of his life. They shared everything they could on paper with each other longing for the day they would meet. Gerard will discover that it would be something that would affect his life forever. As a grown-up he researches his mother's past, trying to find out what happened to her during her time in England which causing her to be apprehensive and paranoid. He comes across a collection of writings done by his great-grandmother Viola Hatherley that provides clues to that which he is looking for. It is a group of ghost stories that provide a disturbing theme giving Gerard a sense of unease. When strange things begin to happen to him similar to the stories, he knows that he has gotten more than he bargained for and that he is walking a razor's edge into an old family secret. Would it be worth his life finding out the truth? John Harwood's first novel is a beautifully-written work in which the author adapts several literary devices to tell a story of ultimate revenge. The book mixes elements of a memoir, an epistolary novel, a diary, a short story anthology, a character study, and a gothic Victorian novel inside Gerard's quest in learning the family secrets. It may catch readers off guard at first, but the novel's haunting prose will grab you. There are unexpected twists and turns as well as a surprising ending. It is not a book that you should read quickly, this is one you savor slowly. THE GHOST WRITER is an impressive debut that deserves some recognition among literary circles. It is the type of book that would invite a lot of discussion in your next book club discussion. It is not a book that should be read alone. John Harwood is an author to watch.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, September 2004
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