Chris Bohjalian joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about his new novel, THE AMATEUR, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. He wrote in an "alchemic frenzy" over 90 days in the summer of 2024 without telling anyone — not his wife, daughter, editor or agents — until it was finished. It's his most autobiographical book in nature as he mined the days he spent as a "spectacular golf caddie" when he was in high school, earning $40–$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's 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 — a reflection of how much the world has changed.
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