Bookish Thoughts: The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

I remember being pestered by a sense of dread as I walked to my car that day, pressed down by a wave of foreboding that swirled around my head and broke against the evening in small ripples. ~ Opening of The Life We Bury

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

Seventh Street Books, 2014

Crime Fiction; 303 pgs

Joe Talbert is getting a late start on his writing assignment for one of his college courses, and is hoping to interview someone and write a brief biography about his or her life. Walking into a nursing home, he has no idea who he might find. Hopefully someone with an interesting story. What he did not expect was to find Carl Iverson, a man convicted of the rape and murder of a teenager girl who had been paroled from prison after 30 years only because he was dying of cancer. It is not lost on Joe what a unique opportunity this will be. 

As Joe digs into Carl's past, he discovers Carl had fought in the Vietnam War and is still haunted by his time there. Joe wonders at Carl's heroism during the war and weighs it against the crime the man was convicted of committing. With the help of his neighbor, Lila, Joe uncovers more and more information that make him doubt Carl's guilt. 

Joe is forced to juggle his coursework with trouble with his own family. His mother's dysfunction as a parent has always been a problem, but is beyond the point of ignoring. Her alcoholism is out of control and her mental illness continues to go untreated. She has a new boyfriend who is bad news, and her youngest son who has Autism and is unable to care for himself is right at the center of it. Joe feels responsible for his brother, and is faced with some hard choices. 

The Life We Bury is the perfect title for this novel. Both Joe and Carl, and even Lila, have tried to bury their pasts, particularly the parts they long to forget. Each hold onto secrets that have impacted their lives and still weigh heavily on them. It was interesting to see how the relationship between Joe and Carl evolved, as well as that between Joe and Lila, over the course of the novel--how their trust in each other grew and they became closer.

Joe struggles with his decision to leave his brother with his mother to attend college. He wants to make something of his life, get out of his mother's house, and yet he also knows he is the only reliable person his brother has. He truly loves his brother and does not hesitate to step up when necessary. I really felt for him and his situation. 

I also was drawn to Lila who fought her own demons and was very wary of Joe at first. She took to Joe's brother, Jeremy, quickly, however, and I enjoyed the ease at which she and Jeremy interacted right from the start. Jeremy needs all the warriors on his side he can get. I liked him and felt the author did a good job fleshing out his character.

Allen Eskens knows how to create characters that get under your skin and draw you to them. The action really picks up in the last 100 or so pages of the novel, the suspense having been built up and Joe finding himself in dire straits. It was the kind that makes you hold your breath and not want to stop reading until you know everything will be okay. I was not surprised by the outcome. Eskens does not try to obfuscate too much--a little twist here and there. 

I enjoyed reading The Life We Bury quite a bit, although I felt there were several threads that could have been explored further for a richer reading experience. I was left feeling a bit short-shifted by the end because of that, but otherwise it is a solid read.

I could relate to Joe wanting to get out of a dysfunctional home, away from an abusive parent. I also understood the guilt he felt leaving behind his brother. In this case, a brother who is autistic and completely dependent on others. As a result, Joe can't completely move on. His brother needs him.

Carl, truly was a war hero --even in his guilt for taking a life. My dad was a Vietnam Vet and I spent years trying to get him to share and open up about his time there. I always felt a distance between us, a wall, I couldn't breach. I don't believe my dad witnessed the horrors Carl did, although I am sure he heard about them and saw the fall out after. My dad had his own nightmares and was haunted by his own demons.

This book, for me, was more about the characters and their journeys rather than the murder itself. I felt a little cheated in the end. How quickly things were wrapped up--how nicely. Threads that popped up early in the book not being more fully explored. Still, I found The Life We Bury to be an entertaining and interesting book to read. I enjoyed it over all and recommend it.

You can learn more about Allen Eskens and his books on the author's website. You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook.

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