Trust Exercise

Trust Exercise is a 2019 coming-of-age novel by the American author Susan Choi,[1] published by Henry Holt and Company.[2]

Trust Exercise
First edition (US)
AuthorSusan Choi
LanguageEnglish
GenreComing-of-age fiction
Romance
PublisherHenry Holt and Company (US)
Serpent's Tail (UK)
Publication date
2019
Pages257
AwardsNational Book Award for Fiction (2019)
ISBN1250309883
OCLC1033782648
Websitewebsite

Plot

Sarah and David are performing art students coming from different socio-economic backgrounds: Sarah lives with her mother in a working-class milieu; while David's family is financially comfortable. The two fall in love despite their contrasting circumstances, but their relationship ends in a bitter breakup.

Reception and awards

Trust Exercise received very positive feedback from critics.[3] Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic wrote, "Trust Exercise is an elaborate trick; it's a meta work of construction and deconstruction, building a persuasive fictional world and then showing you the girders, the scaffolding underneath, and how it's all been welded together."[4] Writing for The Washington Post, Ron Charles noted, "This author never takes you where you thought you were going, but have faith: You won't be disappointed."[5] John Boyne of The Irish Times wrote, "Once in a while, a novel's plot takes such an unexpected turn, breaking the unspoken contract between reader and writer, that it's hard to know whether to fling the book at the wall in anger or proclaim it a brave attempt to push the boundaries of the form."[6]

In November 2019, Trust Exercise was awarded the National Book Award for Fiction.[7] In December 2019, former President Barack Obama picked it as one of his books of the year.[8] Trust Exercise was named one of the top books of 2019 by New York Times book critic Dwight Garner.[9]

Background

Writing

Choi said that the book's setting was not as important as its location. She chose a "sprawling sort of suburban-style American city",[10] similar to areas that she grew up in, such as Houston, Texas.[10] She elaborated on the location to Bookish:

The other thing was that I wanted the characters to be in a place that isn't a cultural capital, or at least it isn't at the time of this story. It isn't a New York or a Los Angeles, and because they're aspiring performers they're acutely aware of being from a place that's not a cultural capital. They're always yearning for and aspiring to go where the bright lights are. That describes the place where I grew up, but it also describes so many other places. I wanted to generalize the specificity.[10]

Choi further commented about her writing process saying, "I'm conscious of having been so mad during so much of the writing of this book ... . Like really mad."[11] Choi explained that when she was writing the book, Donald Trump had just been elected and she was also going through personal issues stemming from her separation with her husband.[11] Choi tapped into the reaction following the publication of the Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape, realizing that discussions about sexual abuse and harassment had taken on a new urgency.[11]

References
  1. "Susan Choi upgrades familiar coming-of-age story in witty, resonant 'Trust Exercise'". USA Today. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  2. "Trust Exercise | Susan Choi | Macmillan". US Macmillan. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  3. "Book Marks reviews of Trust Exercise by Susan Choi". Book Marks. Retrieved 2020-12-07.
  4. Gilbert, Sophie (2019-05-09). "'Trust Exercise' Is an Elaborate Trick of a Novel". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  5. Charles, Ron (2019-04-04). "Susan Choi's 'Trust Exercise' invites you to recall the highs and humiliations of adolescence". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  6. "Trust Exercise review: A bold novel that might leave you feeling cheated". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  7. "The 2019 National Book Awards: Trust Exercise". National Book Foundation. 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  8. "Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2019 List Is Here". Oprah Magazine. 30 December 2019.
  9. "Times Critics' Top Books of 2019". New York Times. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  10. Rowe, Elizabeth (2019-04-16). "Trust, Serendipity, and Consent: An Interview with Trust Exercise Author Susan Choi". Bookish. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  11. Kelly, Hillary (2019-03-31). "Susan Choi Complicates the Plot". Vulture. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
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