Eliza is a grown woman now and has a husband and two children. But, when she was young, she was kidnapped and held captive for several weeks. Now her kidnapper is about to be executed after 20 years of appeals and delays. He is on death row and he contacts Eliza, using a woman who is trying to save him from execution as intermediary. He dictates letters to her, finally is allowed to telephone her and insists he wants to see her before he dies. This is their story and it is compelling.
As counterpoint, Eliza's present life is described. She is an upper middle class mother and wife. Her husband is a good man, does not stray and remains stalwart throughout, which in itself is a refreshing change from so much contemporary fiction. Good novelists present the nuances and subtleties of horrific situations and very damaged people in ways that give one pause. Their characters are complex like people we all know; much of their lives is ordinary, sometimes messy, but with divine moments that are recognizable. While this is mainly the story of Eliza, it is also the story of her kids, her parents, her sister, her husband, her community, and the humanity we all share is made clear, even in a rapist and murderer.
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