Bunn is a master at taking the stories of those seeking intellectual answers and interweaving their search for spiritual answers.
In this novel, Matt Kelly is seeking to find his mother's murderer and in the process begins unraveling four decades of powerful personal and political family secrets. If that were the only focus of the novel it would still be enough to keep the reader riveted for an entire afternoon of reading, but there is so much more.
The biggest secret Kelly must unravel is that of himself. He has created an enigmatic persona that blocks off his true self from even those closest to him. In the opening scenes of the book we are given a glimpse into a mother's concern for her son. "Matt could melt into any setting and become unseen. Which did not bode well for a society that rewarded the brash and the bold. Women were attracted to Matt's looks and his calm manner. And repelled by his ability to deflect."
His mother had been the only person to see him for who he truly was, so her death shakes his world in a way few are ever prepared for. When asked to describe his mother his response takes the questioner by surprise. "Joy, she looked at a person and only saw the best." Losing the one person who always believed the best of him leaves Matt having to prove himself to everyone...and himself.
The lesson that Matt ultimately had to learn, that so many of us have to learn, came from his partner. "The stronger the guy, the harder it is to be weak. But everybody is. Everybody. Forget death and taxes. The one rule you can take to the bank is this: Everybody is weak at one point or another. And when one weakness is revealed, out come the others."
...Sometimes we have to first become weak before we can become strong.
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