Episode #70
Chris Bohjalian on The Amateur: Guilt, Privilege and a Fatal Golf Shot
What if one seemingly random moment changed the entire course of your life? In Chris Bohjalian’s gripping new novel, The Amateur, eighteen-year-old Mira Winston is a gifted golfer with a promising future. Then, on a hot summer day in 1978, a ball she hits tears through a practice net at an affluent Westchester country club and kills a teenage caddy named Kenny Foster. At first, everyone agrees it was a terrible accident. But questions soon emerge—about the net, about Mira and about the secrets concealed behind the club’s polished manners. Before long, Mira is on trial. Chris joins Irene Rawlings to discuss the personal experiences that inspired The Amateur, including his own years as a teenage caddy; why golf provides such a revealing window into class and privilege; and what the older Mira understands about guilt, memory and responsibility that her eighteen-year-old self could not. They also talk about Mira’s troubling relationship with an older, married club member; the adults who fail to protect her; the importance of keeping Kenny and his family at the heart of the story; and how Chris keeps readers questioning what really happened until the final pages. Chris Bohjalian is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of Midwives, The Flight Attendant, The Lioness and many other acclaimed novels chrisbohjalian.com If you enjoy Women, Books & More, please follow the show, share this episode with a book-loving friend and help us spread the word. Questions, comments or suggestions for future guests? Write to us at womenbooksandmore@gmail.com .
