The one time I felt in danger of drowning was when,
as a middle schooler, I went to a place called Wet ‘n Wild. I ventured into the
Wave Pool, drawn to its seemingly tamer attraction compared to the death
defying twists and turns of the higher and faster water slides. I positioned
myself next to one of the metal bars lining the deep end and waited for the
waves to begin. Slowly the agitation quickened and the waves got higher. Losing hold of the metal bar, it was all I
could do to keep my head above water. Trying not to panic, I glanced over at the
lifeguards who seemed oblivious to my plight. Meanwhile my companions were
screaming in the delight of it all. Finally the waves subsided and I was able
to touch bottom and climb out, thankful for the hot concrete underneath my
feet.
This memory came back as I was reading Before the Fall by Noah Hawley. A plane
has crashed off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. One of the passengers, Scott
Burroughs, finds himself in the ocean, somehow still alive. Determined to swim
to shore, he begins to set off when he hears the cry of a four-year-old boy who
has also miraculously survived. Not only is it night, but Burroughs holding
onto the boy, has dislocated a shoulder, fears the sharks swimming below, and
faces giant waves which threaten to drag their bodies under. The story of his rescue and the aftermath of
the crash is entwined with the backstories of the other passengers on the private
plane. Was it an accident or an attack? Answering this question proves as
gripping as the first few pages of Burroughs’ heroic swim.
Since I’ve been obsessed with NPR’s you-might-also-like lists lately, I just have to say if you like Before the Fall, you might also like Hawley’s earlier novel The Good Father. It too unravels a mystery of sorts. Why
would a smart college-aged kid from a well-to-do family fall off the grid and assassinate
a presidential candidate? This time, the character seeking answers is the boy’s
father. He retraces his son’s travels across the United States, trying to prove
his innocence.
And if you like The
Good Father, you might also like this movie.
