Barker House by David Moloney
Nine correctional officers work at Barker House, a for-profit county jail in New Hampshire. Both the correctional officers and the inmates' lives are a series of repetitious days, filled with boredom that is broken up by the occasional violent or sexual event.
This novel takes the form of interconnected stories about the correctional officers - some officers appear once, others are recurring characters. There is a contrast between the dread of incarceration and the dread of freedom, emphasizing the repetitious nature of both states. Written by a former correctional officer, it certainly doesn't paint a flattering picture of prison guards. I found it to be somewhat unsatisfying since there is no resolution to most of the characters' stories. Like many works of literary fiction, the book just ends without really having a plot.
The writing is evocative and very descriptive. At times, there is a high level of violence, so this isn't going to be a book that I will recommend to our readers without being sure they can handle the brutality.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in return for a review.
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