Berg

Berg is the 27-year-old protagonist of the novel. After suffering a concussion three years prior to the narrative present of The Boatbuilder, Berg becomes addicted to painkillers, eventually ending up in rehab. Once he finishes treatment, he quits his job in the city and moves to Talinas in an attempt to distance himself from his past.

Throughout the novel, Berg tries to bury the versions of himself of which he is ashamed. Throwing himself into his new work at Fernwood, and in Alejandro's shop, Berg hides from his past instead of acknowledging and confronting it. When Berg relapses several times throughout the novel, he lies to himself, saying once this round of pills is gone, then he will get clean again. Berg's self-delusion permeates the narrative, and guides much of its structure, living largely on the surface of Berg's consciousness, rather than moving deep inside his psyche.

The...