A literary tour de force from the acclaimed author of The Blessings-a riveting novel about one of the most urgent crises of our time. One August afternoon, as single mother Maggie Daley prepares to send her only child off to college, their world is shattered by news of a mass shooting at the local mall in rural Maine. As reports and updates about the tragedy begin to roll in, Maggie, an English … begin to roll in, Maggie, an English professor, is further stunned to learn that the gunman had been a student of hers: Nathan Dugan was an awkward, complicated young man whose quiet presence in her classroom had faded from her memory-but not, it seems, the memories of his classmates.
When a viral blog post hints at the existence of a dark, violence-tinged essay Nathan had written during Maggie’s freshman comp seminar, Maggie soon finds herself at the center of a heated national controversy. Could the overlooked essay have offered critical red flags that might have warned of, or even prevented, the murders to come? As the media storm grows around her, Maggie makes a series of desperate choices that threaten to destroy not just the personal and professional lives she’s worked so hard to build, but-more important-the happiness and safety of her sethe media storm grows around her, Maggie makes a series of desperate choices that threaten to destroy not just the personal and professional lives she’s worked so hard to build, but-more important-the happiness and safety of her sensitive daughter, Anna.
Engrossing and provocative, combining sharp plot twists with Juska’s award-winning, trademark literary sophistication, If We Had Known is at once an unforgettable mother-daughter journey, an exquisite portrait of a community in turmoil, and a harrowing examination of ethical and moral responsibility in a dangerously interconnected digital world.
the media storm grows around her, Maggie makes a series of desperate choices that threaten to destroy not just the personal and professional lives she’s worked so hard to build, but-more important-the happiness and safety of her sensitive daughter, Anna.
Engrossing and provocative, combining sharp plot twists with Juska’s award-winning, trademark literary sophistication, If We Had Known is at once an unforgettable mother-daughter journey, an exquisite portrait of a community in turmoil, and a harrowing examination of ethical and moral responsibility in a dangerously interconnected digital world.more
College English professor Maggie Daley is a single mother whose only child, Anna, is days away from leaving home to start college. Anna has struggled with anxiety in the wake of her parents’ divorce four years ago. Luke Finch is a quiet college dropout who works at the donut shop and dreams of moving out of his father’s house. Four years ago, Luke was one of Maggie’s students in a freshman England composition course. As was Nathan Dugan, who penned an essay that, in hindsight, was troubling. Nathan was withdrawn, did not socialize with his fellow students, and tended to be dominating and off-putting when he did speak in class. When Nathan opens fire in a local mall, killing several people before taking his own life, questions swirl about his motivations. His single mother, with whom he resided, insists she had no idea how many guns he owned or how disturbed he was. In the aftermath of another episode of senseless, tragic violence, Maggie finds herself the focus of intense scrutiny and second-guessing: Could she have taken action that might have prevented Nathan’s shooting spree and saved his victims? Should she have brought his essay, ostensibly a story about Nathan going on a hunting trip with his absent father but focused on weapons, to the attention of the college’s administration? Media and public interest is heightened when Luke’s observations about his classmate — shared on Facebook — go viral. With compassionate objectivity and insight, Elise Juska examines the impact of the shooting on Maggie, Luke, and Anna. As Maggie and Luke struggle with guilt, questioning whether they missed important signs and pondering whether their actions might have made a difference, Anna’s anxiety reaches crisis proportions, especially after a brief relationship with a duplicitous fellow college student in whom she confided. If We Had Known is a compelling look at the insidious ways such a tragedy impacts and changes those touched — even tangentially — by the actions of a crazed gunman. And a reminder of how tenuous and delicate carefully constructed lives and relationships can be. It’s also a look at the dissemination of information (and misinformation) via modern technology and the risk that the internet poses to those who are sensitive and vulnerable. If We Had Known is a story that resonates, and inspires contemplation and discussion not just about gun control, but also about the effects of being digitally, but perhaps not emotionally, connected to each other.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book!
This book I knew would be great and it was. It was a lot heavier than even I expected. More than just moving on from a shooting, though there was that. There’s the questions everyone will ask themselves, there’s the sadness and grief for the victims and those left behind. But this book also deals with divorce and the effects that has on everyone, anxiety, eating disorder… So many subjects that are serious. They are handled amazing. The only reason this was not a five star is that there were parts that seemed repetitive and the ending made no sense to me and seemed unfinished, almost as if the author just walked away and decided to not continue and just end it there. Made no sense. But a great book