(102) Testimony by Anita Shreve

W-O-W
Anita Shreve has hit it out of the ballpark with her new book, Testimony. It is an insightful, 360 degree look at what happens when a scandal erupts at a prestigious, upper crust New England private school.
The story is told in alternating voices. And it took me several chapters to realize that the chapters were being told as if it were truly testimony in a trial. (yes, I am a dork). From the Headmaster, who tried to keep the situation involving three upper class boys & a fourteen year old freshman, within the four walls of the school. To the roommate of the girl involved, to the parents of the students involved. The book tells the Testimony of all those involved.
Some readers may find it a bit confusing, because each person's Testimony starts at a different point in time. For the Headmaster, it started when his car flipped over on the icy road several years before the incident. For the girlfriend of one of the boys, her Testimony starts when she & Silas first discovered each other. But all of the testimonies come together to tell the story of what happened that Saturday night.
Testimony explores the privileged world of New England Private Schools and the communities they are set in. And how to the two, very different worlds, sometimes collide, wreaking havoc on many in the process. Well written & easy to read, once you start to read Testimony, you won't want to stop.