Initially, Trust by Hernan Diaz is confusing. There are four different parts to the novel, but it works to think of this as four mini- books in one.
The different elements are: Bonds; My Life; A Memoir; and Futures. Each has a different author, but all about Andrew and Mildred Bevel.
“Bonds, A Novel by Harold Vanner,” opens Diaz’s series. It was written in 1937 as a work of fiction about Benjamin and Helen Rask, their wealth and lifestyle, set mostly in New York City. It’s the roaring ‘20s, but the couple, neither flaunt their wealth nor seek attention. Helen, does however, fund foundations and is a patron of the arts.
Next, “My Life by Andrew Bevel”, is a series of the wall street tycoon’s life intended as the basis of a novel, but in this context appears as a haphazard assortment of half-finished notes. This is meant to counter Vanner’s novel, based on the Bevels; it took a while to figure this out.
The third part is written by a newly introduced character, Ida Partenza. She’s hired by the now elderly Andrew Bevel to tell what he considers to be the “true” story about the Bevels. She’s given limited access to records and transcripts. Bevel wants Ida to portray their lives as he sees fit, which isn’t necessarily the way things happened. This is something Ida soon realizes, until she finds the final segment: “Futures written by Mildred Bevel,” which is more of a diary, but connects all of the components while resolving any residual confusion.
Of course, Diaz is the author of Trust in its entirety. It’s best described as a mystery and a reflection on the past. What we want to recall isn’t always the way things actually were.
Trust
Three and three-quarters bookmarks
Riverhead Books, 2022
402 pages
