Ben Givens

Dr. Ben Givens is the main character/protagonist of the novel. The novel follows two different narrative strands in Ben’s life. The main plot is set over the course a few days when Ben is 73-years-old and follows his failed attempt to commit suicide. The subplot relives moments from Ben’s younger years, with particular emphasis given to his adolescence working on his family’s orchard and his years as a young man spent fighting in Italy during World War II.

Ben learns valuable life lessons from the people he meets during his failed hunting trip and each of the other characters acts as a mirror for Ben to examine the issues that he faces in his own life.

Ben plans to commit suicide because he is dying of colon cancer. One of the main themes of the novel is perspective and from Ben’s perspective...