The Amateur - a moving story of how a young woman's life changes in an instant.

In the summer of 1978, Mira Winston is at her country club in Westchester County, NY, driving golf balls into the practice net. The skilled eighteen-year-old, aspiring to play professionally, hits a shot that tears through the net, tragically striking and instantly killing Kenny Foster, a seventeen-year-old caddy. This incident triggers a series of events for Mira, who feels she is being punished for her affair with Theo, a married club member as old as her father. Following the discovery of incriminating evidence, a trial follows. It is revealed that the story is being told in the present-day by Mira, who is reflecting on her past, the choices she made, and their consequences.

Chris Bohjalian's intense The Amateur is hard to categorize. Part domestic thriller, part coming-of-age drama, it's highly engaging and often unsettling. Mira is a bright young woman, yet she has made reckless decisions. Although she might not be the most likeable character, Theo, a man who certainly knew better, is despicable. Given all that Mira had been through, it is hard not to care and root for her. This is a thought-provoking tale that shows how life can change in an instant.

Many thanks to Doubleday Books for the advance.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars.

Domestic Thriller | Literary Fiction. 

Publication Date: August 4, 2026.

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