Description

Trust Exercise

“Ingenious. . . . Choi’s prose is damp with tears and sweat, bruised with hurt and lust, sprinkled with sugar, salt, and e-numbers. Hormones practically drip off the page. . . . [But] then, suddenly and without warning, Choi executives a bravura bait-and-switch. . . . Sure, submitting to it is a ‘trust exercise’ all of its own, but the razzmatazz that awaits is well worth it.”
―The Financial Times

Set in an American suburb during the early 1980s, the narrative of Trust Exercise revolves around the lives of students attending a prestigious performing arts high school. These students, immersed in a world of music, movement, and Shakespeare, navigate the complexities of young love and ambition within the confines of their school’s artistic community.

The story’s central focus is on two freshmen, David and Sarah, whose budding romance becomes a focal point that draws the attention of their enigmatic acting teacher, Mr. Kingsley.

The insulated environment of the school shields the students from the outside world, creating a sense of detachment from the realities of family dynamics, economic disparities, and the pressures of adulthood looming on the horizon.

Trust Exercise

However, this illusion of safety is shattered by a series of unforeseen events that disrupt the status quo and challenge the characters’ perceptions of truth and reality. As the story unfolds, the reader is taken on a journey of discovery, where assumptions are overturned, and hidden truths come to light dramatically and unexpectedly.

Susan Choi’s Trust Exercise explores the blurred lines between fiction and reality, friendship and betrayal, and the complexities of adolescence and adulthood. Through a narrative that is both compelling and poignant, the novel delves into the intricacies of human relationships and the impact of power dynamics on personal growth and self-discovery. By the time the story reaches its conclusion, readers are left with a deeper understanding of the character’s motivations and the profound effects of trust and deception on the lives of those involved.

About The Author:

Susan Choi

Susan Choi has penned several novels, including My Education, American Woman, A Person of Interest, and The Foreign Student. Her literary contributions have earned her recognition as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award, as well as the recipient of the PEN/W.G. Sebald Award and the Asian-American Literary Award for fiction.

In addition to her novels, she has also collaborated with David Remnick to co-edit Wonderful Town: New York Stories from The New Yorker. Currently, she resides in Brooklyn.