24 in ’24 Challenge – Book 20 “Border Crossing” by Pat Barker

Border Crossing is by Pat Barker who is an author whose work I very much enjoy. In last summer’s challenge I also read one of her novels (see here for review) and I have read most of her work over the past few years with her retelling of Greek legends being my favourites (see my review of one of these here).

Border Crossing is narrated by Tom who is a child psychologist. On a walk with his wife he spots a young man throwing himself into a river and when Tom rescues him he finds out that the young man is Danny, a child he saw in the past who had committed a dreadful crime who has now been released from prison – his role then was to ascertain if the younger Danny could distinguish well enough between right and wrong to be tried for murder.

Danny reconnects with Tom and asks him to see him professionally as he wants to understand his previous actions. Tom does so and talks to other people involved with Danny. He slowly becomes aware that while Danny is charming he is also manipulative and a practised liar. He also begins to doubt the events that had reconnected them. He realises that Danny sees the trial and Tom’s evidence in a different way than Tom remembers and becomes aware that Danny blames him for his incarceration. As Tom sees Danny his marriage is breaking up and he becomes aware that Danny will use any sign of weakness in others to his own advantage. The reader also becomes aware that Tom is not fully appreciating how far Danny has inserted himself into Tom’s life.

This is a short book but I was captivated by it. The author has created a frightening character in Danny, a young man who uses everything that comes his way to further his own ends and who seems to have no morals or boundaries. The damage which Danny does to those he encounters and their inability to deal with him seems very realistic. The author also shows how our systems are not created or adapted to deal with people like Danny. This is a scary book but also one which seems very real. The last paragraph sums up the inadequacy of everyone dealing with this damaged boy and the victims he creates.