- 31 Hours by Masha Hamilton
- Hardcover: 240 pages
- Publisher: Unbridled Books (September 8, 2009)
- ISBN-13: 978-1932961836
Back-of-the-book blurb: Carol, a woman in New York, awakens knowing, as deeply as a mother’s blood can know, that her grown son is in danger. She has not heard from Jonas in weeks. His girlfriend, Vic, doesn’t know what she has done wrong, but Jonas won’t answer his cell phone.
We soon learn that Jonas is isolated in a safe-house apartment in New York City, pondering his conversion to Islam and his experiences training in Pakistan, preparing for the violent action he has been instructed to take in 31 hours.
She is Too Fond of Books’ review: 31 Hours grabbed my attention with the first few sentences, and didn’t let me go until long after I’d turned the last page. This short (just over 200 pages) novel is told in quick bursts, with chapters rarely longer than 8-10 pages offering intimate points of view from several characters.
The first chapter introduces us to Carol; her only child, Jonas, hasn’t returned her calls for weeks, and Carol is sleepless with worry as her instincts tell her that something is seriously amiss. In the midst of an early-November windstorm, Hamilton effectively conveys Carol’s anxiety, as the frenzy of the storm outside the apartment mirrors the internal frenzy Carol attempts to calm. The mother in me immediately bonded with Carol, her “mother’s intuition,” and her concern for her son.
We meet Jonas in the second chapter; he is purifying himself before engaging in act of suicide terrorism. Concerned that he might be perceived as a “two-dimensional zealot,” Jonas wants to be understood, for people to know that he acted with “foresight as well as … determination.”
The story is compacted into such a tight time-frame that it’s hard to put it down. Think about what 31 hours might look like in your life – a night’s sleep, a full day, and another night of sleep. It’s not much time. Early on, Jonas
… glanced at his wristwatch. Seven minutes to 2. In seven more minutes, it would be – he used his fingers – thirty-one hours until.
Thirty-one.
The maximum number of days in a month, the length between menstrual cycles. Al-Khabir, the All-Aware, the thirty-first name of Allah. Thirty-one verses in Genesis, Chapter 1. The thirty-first verse: God saw tall hat he had made, and behold, it was very good. It was evening and it was morning, the sixth day. Thirty-one hours which, given the elasticity of time, could shrink to thirty-one seconds or expand to thirty-one years. Who knew what the next thirty-one hours would feel like to him?
This sense of urgency is carried by the main conflict in the novel, the short chapters, and multiple view points. We walk a short portion of those 31 hours with about a half- dozen characters: Sonny Hirt, a homeless man in his mid-50s; Vic, Jonas’ girlfriend; Mara, Vic’s 8-year-old sister; Jake, Jonas’ father; even Masoud, the mastermind of the terrorist plan. Each shares their innermost thoughts as they work toward their goals, be they as seemingly straightforward as Carol, Jake and Vic reuniting with Jonas, as innocent as Mara’s wish for her parents to get back together, as basic as Sonny’s daily traversing of the subway tunnels he calls home, or as twisted as Masoud’s goal of death and destruction in the name of Allah.
Each chapter heading gives the current time in New York and in Mecca. Instead of benignly being reminded of the author’s name and title of the novel at the top of each page, we’re reminded that time is passing; it’s moving steadily forward to a literal time of detonation.
Hamilton invites us to explore the obvious theme of terrorism and what drives a person to commit such an act – is it lack of religion or other guiding force? Is there an accurate profile of a terrorist? Can we intercede to change these beliefs; are they deep and powerful, or tenuous attachments of the easily-influenced? She also looks at the roles of friends and family – how miscommunication and misunderstandings cause us to take one path or another in our day-to-day lives. We are all connected; something as small as a smile to stranger can be impfactful. Carol refers to the “unexpected intersections of lives” as she travels the subway, it’s “the world’s finest people-watching gallery and a classroom in tolerance.” If only we all were diligent students.
You can peek into the world of Carol and Jonas by reading the first two chapters of 31 Hours. For a short video tease, complete with ticking clock, this short (about 1 1/2 minutes) book trailer will give you chills without giving away the plot:
31 HOURS Book Trailer from Unbridled Books on Vimeo.
I enjoyed this one! I thought it made for a great discussion book!
I’ll be embarrassed to post my review after reading yours. I could really relate to Carol as I read this book – I thought both Carol and Jake were very true to life.
I just finished reading a review of this book at Beth Fish Reads, and between the two of you, my stomach is hurting. Will it ever be possible for me to hear about something like this and NOT see it from a mother’s point of view? I see every toubled man as some mother’s son. Excellent review, excellent trailer.
Wonderful review! And it sounds like a great book for the readathon too!
This book is going to have to pass me by. The subjects raised in terms of parenting make me ill. As a mother I already have too much guilt built into my psyche. I don’t want to experience it as part of my reading pleasure. Your review was too good in my case.
I have this book in my TBR stack and have been wondering if it’s good. I am glad to hear you liked it and after reading your review I am looking forward to it. Great review!
Julie – I didn’t know about the online discussion site until I read your review – thanks for that tip!
Kathy – I also really liked Sonny; he was very wise. Masha Hamilton had me looking at my assumptions about the homeless, with his character.
Sandy – This is my favorite type of trailer – short, music, written words, images (no voices) … and no plot spoilers!
rhapsody – it’s quick, and a pageturner, but the theme might keep hold of your mind for a while (and prevent you from reading another book)
Margot – Sandy (You’ve GOTTA read this!) wrote a note on Beth Fish’s blog: “Stephen King doesn’t scare me, but this is terrifying” (I’m paraphrasing). I’m glad I read 31 HOURS, and will read other books by Masha Hamilton, but I completely understand your reaction!
I think the reactions to this book are very much colored by if you are old enough to be a parent or not. Disturbing but gripping. I hadn’t seen the trailer — so well done.
Ooh, it’s one of those days for me – sick kid, leaky sink, messy house – and I need a good fast read to distract me! Thanks for the review.
This book sounds so good. I love books that take place in such a short period of time. Great review!
Beth F – “disturbing but gripping” is a super 3-word opinion on 31 HOURS. Yes, I think think one’s stage of life will impact the book’s effect.
sarah – grab the book from your TBR, or bundle up the sick kid and get to the bookstore. You’ll forget all about that leaky sink once you start the book!
Darlene – If you calculate 31 hours from Jonas’ first chapter, you’ll be on pins and needles as the hours and minutes count down.
Sounds good and its length make it perfect for the read-a-thon. Great review!
This kind of sounds like a book version of “24″ in a way. Great review. I’ve been hearing good things about this book.
Great review! I thought this made a good book club pick, we had a lot to talk about!
Stacy – it’s intense for a short read … it may leave you unable to read anything else for a while
Jenners – I hadn’t thought of the connection, but it does seem apt.
S.Krishna – yes, and I think readers of different ages/stages have a different take on it. It’s a great discussion book, especially in a mixed group, because we’re shown those other views.
I just finished reading very intense. I probably would not have picked this one. I connect as a parent of a teenage male. Very hard not to relate. But also hard to read because I kept thinking about 9/11. After 9/11 we look at terrorism a different way.
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this sounds like a quick read. Maybe I’ll check it out.