Critics and Amazon reviewers alike are buzzing about the literary novel bestseller, What Happened To Sophie Wilder (4/5 stars, priced at $1.99 today only). From Amazon:
Charlie Blakeman is living in New York, on Washington Square, struggling to write his second novel and floundering, when his college love, Sophie Wilder, returns to his life. Sophie, too, is struggling, though Charlie isn’t sure why. They’ve spoken only rarely since falling out a decade before. Now Sophie begins to tell Charlie the story of her life since then, particularly the days she spent taking care of a dying man with his own terrible past and the difficult decision he presented her with. When Sophie once again abruptly disappears, Charlie sets out to discover what happened to Sophie Wilder.
“What Happened to Sophie Wilder is about many things—the New York publishing world, the growing pains of post collegiate life, the rigors of Roman Catholicism—but at its center its a moving meditation on why and for whom we write.” —New York Times Book Review
“What Happened to Sophie Wilder is a remarkable first novel, which should especially be read by those who have given up on contemporary literature. Along with giving them something good to read, it will renew their faith in what literature is capable of achieving.” —Commentary
“[T]his novel is excitingly alert . . . to the ways we understand life in terms of stories, in particular the stories we tell about other people – whether to keep them at a safe distance or to bring them closer to us. More, it’s alert to our alertness of this. The story Beha tells about Charlie and Sophie is a convincing contemporary love story, not in spite of its sometimes dizzying self-awareness but, in large part, because of it.”—San Francisco Chronicle
Amazon reviewer Katie M. says:
There are few things as satisfying as a book that leaves you eager to discuss it with another reader. My husband read the book before I did, and upon finishing it, he insisted that I start reading immediately. I didn’t quite understand his urgency until I began reading the book. I devoured the book in a few days, excited for each new chapter and development, yet saddened by the dwindling number of remaining pages. When I finished, the characters — and their choices — stayed with me. Over the next few days, the book kept coming up in our conversations, as we worked out some of the questions it left us with.
Beha’s writing is beautiful. Truth be told: I’m a fast reader, as I tend to skim, but i found myself unwilling to skip a single sentence. Each word seemed to be so thoughtfully chosen; never superfluous, always intentional. As a person far more interested in plot than pretty words, it takes some seriously good writing for me to take notice. Bravo, Mr. Beha.
I can’t wait to read his next book. In the meantime, I know I’ll read SOPHIE WILDER again.
Buy two copies and give one to a friend. You’ll both want to talk about this when you finish reading.
Get What Happened To Sophie Wilder today, while it’s on sale for $1.99.