Wavemaker II

About this book

"The novel opens in the summer of 1964 at the seaside home of Kay Clemens, who is serving drinks to two federal marshals who have accompanied her husband, Will, on a brief visit from the penitentiary. With this charged opening we enter the splintering world of the Clemens family, poised for collapse when Will is sent to prison for refusing in court to rat on the notorious McCarthyera lawyer Roy Cohn. Since his arrest, Kay has lived in a state of heightened emotion, struggling to care for their two young children.". "Wavemaker II, which zigzags between a quiet, suburban beach community and the high-rise, glitzy frenzy of New York City, is brilliantly told through the points of view of each family member: lovely Kay, who moves elegantly through both worlds trying to keep a grip on her deteriorating family; heart-wrenching little Bo, who is battling cancer; burgeoning adolescent Lou-Lou, who aches for her mother's lost attention; and beguiling Will, who, with a tired strength, ushers us through electric prison scenes. Finally, there is Roy Cohn, who has become the family's shadowy protector in gratitude for Will's loyalty. Cohn is a surprisingly empathetic childlike innocent who, for all his notoriety, is generous to a fault with his friends, fiercely attached to his mother, and conflicted about his sexuality. He is the enigma around whom the Clemens family is forced to circle."--BOOK JACKET.

Themes & subjects