Impossible Lives of Basher Thomas

An ambitious novel [...] told in sharp prose [...] layering various methods of storytelling to create a fresh and intriguing work. -PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Documentary filmmaker Harry Ogletree lives in the shadow of his friend Basher Thomas who gained fame as an internationally renowned photojournalist. Two decades on from Bashers disappearance in the jungles of Guatemala Harry sifts through an archive of Bashers documents crafting a narrative about his friends life. Reconstructing Bashers dangerous assignations from obscure African kraals to Middle East war zones Harry investigates their shared past as he uncovers keys to Bashers motivations. Making a pilgrimage to the site of Bashers death Harry will ultimately confront the malleability of memory and the inescapable desires of his past. Capturing the enigmatic mystery of Roberto Bolaño the cold war intrigue of Denis Johnson and the harsh and revelatory landscapes of William T. Vollmann IMPOSSIBLE LIVES OF BASHER THOMAS is a masterful and evocative exploration into the American psyche.