Reviews

The Real Michael Swann: A Novel by Bryan Reardon

jhscolloquium's review

4.0

It's the thing that Americans who experienced the horror of September 11 fear the most: another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Julia Swann is on the phone with her husband, Michael, who is en route home via Penn Station, when the line suddenly goes dead. And then Julia learns that a bomb detonated in Penn Station. Without thinking rationally, Julia heads to New York City in a panicked attempt to find Michael. But, of course, the roads are blocked, security is out in force, and she cannot get anywhere near Penn Station. She manages to find her way to an all night print shop when the clerk assists her with printing fliers and she begins posting them around the city. As the hours tick by, she continues attempting to reach Michael, without success. Reports begin coming in that Michael has been spotted on the move in the city and then, it seems, in an attempt to make his way home to Julia, and those reports spur Julia's desperate quest to determine if Michael is, in fact, still alive and, perhaps, injured. Via duel narratives, author Bryan Reardon creates a suspenseful story about a day that Americans never want to live through again and the impact of terrorism on one family in particular. The tale is full of plot twists and stunning developments which would be spoiled if further explanation is provided. Reardon brilliantly pulls readers into the thoughts, memories, and doubts that characterize a marriage. The Real Michael Swann is a book that readers will not be able to put down until they learn the fate of Michael and Julia, and will resonate long after its shocking conclusion.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.