Suzanne Berne’s debut novel is a subtle but powerful exploration of the darker, morbid fascinations of children.
Washington,
summer 1974. Eight-year-old Marsha’s father has an affair with her Aunt Ada and moves out of their suburban home. Shy bachelor Mr Green moves into the house next door. Marsha’s
mother, Lois follows news of the Watergate scandal closely. And an eleven-year-old boy, Boyd Ellison is molested and murdered.
Marsha breaks her leg and, housebound, she begins keeping a notebook of ‘evidence’. She watches the comings and goings of her
neighbours and records tiny details such as the time her neighbours arrive home from work. On the day of Boyd Ellison’s murder, she records that Mr Green arrives home from work earlier than usual. While Marsha’s mother tries to be kind to Mr Green, Marsha soon takes a dislike to him. She finds herself making up stories about him to her neighbour Luann. Before long, Marsha actually starts to believe the things she is saying. As the shocked neighbours try to come to terms with the horrific murder on their doorsteps, Marsha’s observations about Mr Green raise more interest. Marsha’s mother is sceptical of the stories and believes Marsha dislikes men because of her father’s affair. The repercussions of Marsha’s stories for Mr Green are tragic, and Marsha grows up to become deeply ashamed of her actions that summer.
This is a slow-burning compelling book that takes risks by presenting the murdered child is an unlikeable character, and by illustrating the damage children’s imaginations can cause.