I'm a big fan of Jodi Picoult. Since reading 'My Sisters Keeper' I have been systematically working my way through everything she has written. Whilst a couple of books are a little weaker than the rest, you're pretty much guaranteed that when you pick up one Pioult's book you're going to get a well written, thought-provoking read. I'm also a big fan of comic books (I've never been the girliest girl) so when I found that this, her most recent book, was in part about a comic book artist I was eager to begin. Imagine my joy to find the book also contained graphic art...
'The Tenth Circle' focuses on the family Stone - father Daniel, mother Laura and daughter Trixie. Daniel grew up as the only white boy in an Inuit village, and spent all his time being mocked and bullied because he was not a native. After teenage tragedy, he ran from Alaska and developed his skill as a comic book artist. A chance meeting with Laura resulted in a pregnancy and marriage - just the things Daniel needed to reinvent himself and put his past behind him. When his fifteen year old daughter comes home and tells him she's been raped by her ex-boyfriend Jason, he feels the past swelling up inside him once more. Laura, a lecturer at the local university whose elective on Dante's "Inferno" is one of the most popular courses, doesn't know what to do. Her daughter is hurting, her husband is hurting, and she feels further from the family than ever before.
The story primarily follows Daniel and Trixie as they both struggle to come to terms with what has happened. The tragic circumstances of rape from both the victim, and the alleged perpetrator's point of view are carefully examined. The reader quickly realises that just because someone says a rape has occured it doesn't mean it has, and that just because someone says it hasn't occured doesn't mean it hasn't. The inner turmoil of the families and authorities is clear to see - there doesn't appear to be any clear way to solve the puzzle.
As the book progresses, we are treated to Daniel's current graphic project - a tale of a father and daughter which mirrors Laura's teaching of Dante's "Inferno". This reinforces the themes of the book, and also seeks to give a further insight into Daniel and his past which Picoult only hints at.
This is a well thought out book which aims to deal with a highly emotive and potentially controversial topic. Whilst it is diffiult to take the side of either Trixie or Jason, I found myself feeling empathy toward both of them at times- I felt my eyes were definitely opened to the fact that situations like this are frequently not as black and white as they appear. I found it difficult to put down, and also found myself rushing through a chapter to get to the next installment of Daniel's work. People who aren't fans of graphic art shouldn't be put off by this - its a very small proportion of the book.
Definitely worth a read!
Rating : 4 out of 5
Like this? Try 'Sundowners' by Lesley Lokko
