Jacob Finch Bonner

Jacob Finch Bonner is the novel’s protagonist. Since he was young his dream was to be a writer. He even adopted the middle name Finch as a tribute to To Kill a Mockingbird, the first book he ever loved. His first novel, The Invention of Wonder, was published when he was in his mid-twenties. It was well received by critics, but it was not popular with readers. Over the following years, he struggled to write a second novel that publishers would accept. To make a living, he began teaching at a creative writing MFA program in Vermont. One year, he has a student named Evan Parker, who has an astounding plot idea for a novel. After Evan mysteriously dies, Jacob steals the plot idea. The resulting novel is a huge success.

One day, Jacob begins to receive anonymous messages from someone who claims to know...