In this book the narrator, who remains nameless, bumps into Jeff Cook, an old acquaintance from college. Back then the narrator admired Jeff, but while they had one class together, they never became close friends. This makes what happens seem so remarkable to the narrator. After they meet in an airport where their flight is delayed. Jeff invites the narrator to come to the first class lounge while they wait. They spend hours in the lounge drinking (the narrator drinks non-alcoholic beer, while Jeff drinks alcoholic beer and then mixed drinks). Jeff begins to tell the narrator a story about something that happened to him after he graduated: he saved a man from drowning at the beach. Later he became obsessed with the man and finagled his way into his life, first by getting a job at his business, then by dating his daughter. All the while, he never lets on that he was the one who saved the man on the beach and the man never lets on whether he knows that it was Jeff.
I found it interesting how the author builds tension throughout the story. The reader doesn’t know where this is going. Jeff’s intentions are never really clear, perhaps even to him at the time or even in retrospect. It felt ominous and a little nerve-wracking. The narrator queries Jeff throughout, trying to nail down his motives, but they are never really defined. All of the tension made me want to keep reading; I had a hard time putting this book down.
I like the title with its multiple meanings. Jeff saved the man by doing CPR and mouth-to-mouth, and at the same time, he’s telling this story to the narrator who is a writer. The narrator gets the impression that Jeff wants him to write about the story.
The writing is very good; it gave me a lot to think about. I think my book club would love this one. Although a small book at under 200 pages, it packs a powerful punch.
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