Book Review: Things Behind the Sun

Things Behind the Sun. David W. Berner. Adelaide Books, March 31, 2020, Trade Paperback and E-book, 192 pages.

Reviewed by Michelle Burwell.

While secrets have a reputation of driving people apart, some secrets, when brought to light, have the potential of bringing people closer together. When Martin Gregory and his adopted son head out west, each has starkly different expectations for their road trip. The two are keeping secrets from one another, and each has plans to up-end the trip. But when the secrets are finally revealed, the two discover a newfound empathy for one another. A captivating exploration of identity, Things Behind the Sun reveals there is no chasm of secrets large enough that a summer road trip can't bridge.

Martin, a writer and college professor, has found himself in a stagnant stage of life. He is working and writing but feeling unmotivated.

And, long-held secrets from his past are beginning to catch up to him. Chase, Martin’s adopted son, seems distant and guarded. Now that Chase is nearly eighteen, Martin is growing anxious. He hopes a road trip, during which he will ultimately reveal the past to Chase, will bring the two together.

Martin adopted Chase over seventeen years ago when a woman he’d loved became terminally ill. While Chase knows somewhat about his mom and his past, Martin has hidden many of the ominous, looming details. But a person from the past has secretly reached out to Chase, and Chase knows more than Martin thinks he does. While Martin is trying to finally connect with his son, Chase, overwhelmed, is beginning to feel like running away from it all. 

David Berner’s Things Behind the Sun is a revealing novel about fathers and sons, and letting go in order to come together. His earlier books have often been inspired by Jack Kerouac’s journeys on the road and highlighted themes of personal growth, companionship, and evolution in humanity. His newest offering has beautifully delivered on all three of these themes.