TRIGGER

Isolated with her abusive, domineering father, 15-year-old Didi learns to survive in a reality where even a simple chess game spells danger.

On the outskirts of town, Didi lives alone with her father. No trace of her long-gone mom remains except for a collection of Nancy Mitford novels. Running drills around the house is an early-morning ritual, often under the harsh command of her father. “Be quick, be fast, be strong!” becomes her mantra. At the age of 5, Didi studies the game of chess, with her father’s intentions clear: to build her skills up to the level of a master or else face the trouble stick. At 8, Didi discovers the brutal truths of hunting in a traumatizing experience that leaves the young girl even more spiritually wounded. “God won’t love me anymore. I exploded a bird.” A brisk and brutal read, Griffin’s latest offers vivid snapshots of a young life held captive by an egotistical tyrant, loaded with suggestions (not always explicit) of physical abuse. The author flits quickly between short chapters, quoted Mitford passages, and other lyrical asides rather ingeniously conveying Didi’s fragile mentality under duress. There’s very little levity here, with the primary source of goodness—a compassionate neighbor who acknowledges Didi’s plight—shuffled off the pages about halfway through. The ending’s at once unsurprising and jarring, tied together with a small measure of hope that feels slightly untrustworthy. A White default is assumed.

Harrowing and intriguing.