{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Chris Bohjalian: The Amateur","description":"Chris Bohjalian joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about his new novel, THE AMATEUR, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. He wrote in an \u201calchemic frenzy\u201d over 90 days in the summer of 2024 without telling anyone \u2014 not his wife, daughter, editor or agents \u2014 until it was finished. It's his most autobiographical book in nature as he mined the days he spent as a \u201cspectacular golf caddie\u201d when he was in high school, earning $40\u2013$50 a day, staying fit, and reading during breaks. Chris explains that his second summer at this job made him acutely aware of how golf displays the class divide in America as he was caddying for his classmates' parents. In THE AMATEUR, Mira Winston hits a golf ball at a driving range. It goes through a net and kills 17-year-old caddie Kenny Foster by rupturing an artery. Chris shares that this prologue reads as if it is a third-person omniscient novel discussing the history of golf balls and country clubs, until the final sentences reveal Mira as the narrator. The book\u2019s title carries multiple meanings, including class elitism in golf culture and broader themes about Mira's identity and choices. Her first-person voice was a deliberate and central creative choice, enabling both wit and deep psychological complexity. The 1978 setting is integral to the novel's exploration of gender inequality, the dismissal of female athletes, and the systemic failure of adults to protect young women. Chris acknowledges that THE AMATEUR, though based on his adolescence, is now considered historical fiction \u2014 a reflection of how much the world has changed. Our Latest \u201cBookreporter Talks To\u201d Interviews: Nadia Hashimi: https:\/\/youtu.be\/uxVRLLQY1oA Sophie Chen Keller: https:\/\/youtu.be\/bWMs3VWUC4A Ben Reeves: https:\/\/youtu.be\/Jsr5c3WQPuQ Rachel Beanland: https:\/\/youtu.be\/6Piw8q7pGkc Lisa Scottolin: https:\/\/youtu.be\/9MsfXILFZ_Y John Searles: https:\/\/youtu.be\/LA2gXPoc_zk Jenny Jackson: https:\/\/youtu.be\/V116A5eBBBE Beatriz Williams: https:\/\/youtu.be\/d554V2bGHSQ Our Latest \u201cBookaccino Live\u201d Book Group Events: Bruce Holsinger: https:\/\/youtu.be\/wwQjtlPePBQ Wally Lamb: https:\/\/youtu.be\/-eMtMznKoVE Laura Dave: https:\/\/youtu.be\/RRWrSjdxyrc Lisa Ridz\u00e9n: https:\/\/youtu.be\/dleYdLoh0bY Patrick Ryan: https:\/\/youtu.be\/keazeWK1lto Lily King: https:\/\/youtu.be\/_yo2x2ZA0B0 Sign up for newsletters from Bookreporter and Reading Group Guides here: https:\/\/tbrnetwork.com\/newsletters\/ FOLLOW US on Facebook: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bookreporter Website: https:\/\/www.bookreporter.com Art Credit: Tom Fitzgerald Edited by Jordan Redd Productions ","author_name":"Bookreporter Talks To","author_url":"https:\/\/www.bookreporter.com\/","html":"