by Ian McEwan
First published 2004
Henry Perowne moves through London on what begins as an ordinary Saturday. The accomplished surgeon has earned his weekend peace, but the city has other plans. When Perowne's car collides with another vehicle, the incident seems minor. The other driver does not. This unstable young man radiates menace, and Perowne's clinical instincts tell him something is seriously wrong. The stranger's fury escalates beyond the accident itself. Soon Perowne realizes his family has become targets. His wife and children face real danger from this troubled individual. Perowne must draw on his surgical training and steady nerves to protect them. The skills that serve him in the operating room now become tools of survival. McEwan transforms a single day into a test of everything Perowne values most.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, psychological-thriller, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-study, family-drama, man-vs-self
Setting: London (England)
289 pages · Hardcover · Nan A. Talese