Chris Bohjalian releases new novel “The Amateur”

Vermont author Chris Bohjalian’s 25th novel, The Amateur, was published by Doubleday on August 4. The 336‑page, $33 book is set in the summer of 1978 and follows Westchester County golf prodigy Mira Winston, whose stray ball kills caddy Kenny Foster at a country‑club practice net. The narrative, told from Mira’s later‑life perspective as a successful novelist, explores her guilt, secret affairs, and the unraveling of her life after the accident.

Bohjalian describes the story as a “page‑turner” rather than a thriller, focusing on psychological consequences and questions of agency and culpability. The novel marks his latest addition to a career that includes titles such as The Flight Attendant, and it has drawn attention for its blend of suspense and moral examination.