Hamilton's gorgeous and complex fourth novel tracks the 31 hours before Jonas, a sensitive young man raised by idealistic parents (now divorced), straps on a vest of explosives and enters the New York City subway system to martyr himself. The novel begins with Jonas's mother, Carol, knowing, with a mother's instinct, that something is very wrong with her son. Thus begins an odyssey that takes her back to her ex-husband, Jake; to Jonas's girlfriend, Vic; and, finally to the authorities. Hamilton touches on many perspectives, including that of Vic, a dancer who is shocked that her longtime friendship with Jonas recently turned to love; Vic's younger sister, Mara, who tries to fix their parents' failing marriage; Sonny Hirt, an especially perceptive homeless man who senses something is very wrong on the subway where he's panhandling. Through all of this, Jonas ritually prepares for this final act of his life, but without the single-minded fanaticism one expects. It's a very tense narrative, vividly imagined and eerily plausible. (Sept.)
What does it take for a white, middle-class American to become an Islamic suicide bomber? How long does it take for those closest to him to realize that their son, their lover, their friend is about to become one of seven martyrs detonating deadly explosions in the New York subway? Jonas is a loving, sensitive, 21-year-old with strong intellectual curiosity. Unfortunately, "his ability to spot the wizard behind the curtain had for years plunged [him] into periodic depressions." Drawn to Islam's disciplined daily routine, he takes up with Masoud, who offers him a path to make the ultimate difference. Hamilton (The Camel Bookmobile) lets the tension build as each chapter counts down Jonas's last hours, alternating points of view among the clearly delineated characters. Hamilton slowly strengthens the connections from character to character and their links to the subway—the setting for Jonas's final deed. VERDICT Hamilton's novel raises many thought-provoking questions, which makes it a strong choice for book clubs and for readers who enjoy character-driven fiction with contemporary political relevance.—Christine Perkins, Bellingham P.L., WA
“Hamilton has used both her considerable empathy as a writer and her experience in the Middle East to create an intimate portrait of 21-year-old Jonas Meitzner. It's not easy to like him for what he intends to do, much less admire him, but Hamilton makes us aware of his humanity…Sensitive, lonely and full of the anger and doubt many young people feel, Jonas seems in Hamilton's hands not a stranger, not an impenetrable figure of dread whose behavior is beyond our understanding, but the ordinary, fragile child of ordinary, fragile people. You don't exactly want to look at the story of what happens to Jonas, but Hamilton has made it very hard to tear your gaze away.”—The Washington Post
“Riveting…. a potent psychological analysis on the true meaning of loyalty — to friends, family members and country — and what any of us, given the chance, would to do to uphold it.”—The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“Highly readable…keeps us engaged most with the desire to answer the standard thriller question: Can the killer be stopped?...Hamilton arrays her characters smartly, then points them toward the subway…Women, in particular, will inhale this book.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer
“One of the best novels I’ve read this year.”—Carol Fitzgerald, founder, BookReporter.com
“Gorgeous and complex….a very tense narrative, vividly imagined and eerily plausible.”—Publishers Weekly
"How much can we ever know the ones we truly love? So asks Masha Hamilton in her riveting new novel, 31 HOURS. It kept me up all night, and left me in tears."—Amanda Eyre Ward, author of Sleep Toward Heaven, Love Stories In This Town
“Fascinating.”—Booklist
“A literary novel that is also as suspenseful as a thriller. "31 Hours" is Hamilton's third book, and while the phrase "break-out book" is often bandied about too easily, Hamilton has written something singular…Masha Hamilton’s new book has the pace of the most entertaining thriller, the information of an educational documentary, the compassion of an enlightening text, and the coherence of an artwork.”—The Book Studio
“Asks questions that have plagued our nation since the 2001 terrorist attacks.”—Cleveland Scene
“You don’t just read this gut-wrenching book; you become part of it in a deep, primal way. Hamilton’s story is so real and so raw, it takes over your thoughts and feelings and never lets go. We need to start a global book club and make this its first selection.” —Lois Alter Mark, StyleSubstanceSoul.com
"Masha Hamilton uncovers the complex humanity behind the horror of terrorism. Read it for the exquisite craft, but also for the entry into a world that’s often splashed in the headlines, but seldom so brilliantly revealed." —Caroline Leavitt, author of Girls in Trouble and Coming Back to Me
"A book of hope, despair and yearning that stays with you far beyond the final page. This book is poetic, frightening, and absolutely impossible to put down. Masha Hamilton is one of my very favorite writers, and stories like this are the reason why." —Laura Fitzgerald, author of Veil of Roses and One True Theory of Love
“Equal parts thriller and poetry, Masha Hamilton’s 31 Hours had me turning pages late into the night and thinking about its startling conclusion long after I’d read the last page. In compelling readers to reconsider how we think about terrorism, this beautiful novel will provoke understanding, and perhaps even inspire us toward much-needed change.”—Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters
“In 31 Hours, Masha Hamilton tells the poignant story of mothering a misguided, idealistic, puzzling yet familiar young man in today's alarming political climate. It is a deep meditation on the roots of terrorism – and how closely related they can be to one's own family and home. The title is straightforward yet fraught with meaning; the gorgeous prose that follows wastes neither a phrase nor a sigh.”—Barbara Fischkin, author of Muddy Cup and Confidential Sources
“Hamilton’s novel raises many thought-provoking questions, which makes it a strong choice for book clubs and for readers who enjoy character-driven fiction with contemporary political relevance.”—Library Journal
“Without giving anything away, the ending can, and certainly may, spark discussion. (I can picture this book being discussed in a classroom setting.)…Hamilton masterfully sets up the tension until you, as a reader, get to the point of finishing a chapter and looking at your watch to see if you have time to fit in another. It’s like every character is a grain of sand spiraling down an hour glass. They slowly come closer and closer together until they all meet in the middle…Hamilton’s mastery of words will pull you in and not let you go.”—minnesotareads.com
“Brilliantly understated...as stark and quietly terrifying as anything I have read recently....A thriller in every sense of the word, it is also a work of literary fiction, a cautionary tale for the times taking place somewhere at this moment and for the foreseeable future.”—bookreporter.com
“Sometimes, even after the last word is read and the final page turned, a book is so full of unique and deftly drawn characters that they seem to continue living, free of the pages, ink, and binding that contained them. Masha Hamilton’s 31 Hours is such a book, and each character, no matter how brief the appearance, is so vibrant and fascinating that the idea of the end of the book, the end of the reader’s ability to follow them as they live their lives, feels like a deep and tragic loss.” —Bookgeeks.co.uk
“I highly recommend 31 Hours … I’m still thinking about this haunting novel. Hamilton makes astute observations about human nature, the current political and social climate in the U.S., and she does this through characters that I truly came to care for and worry about.” —Julie McGuire, fiction editor, Internet Review of Books
“Gripping…I read with an increasing sense of urgency as the clock ticked down the thirty-one hours to the story's climax.”—Food for Thought
“Perceptive and cohesive throughout, 31 Hours makes for tautly-building suspense.”—Blogcritics.com
