Bertrand Court

September 1, 2016
Bertrand Court, in an upscale neighborhood in Washington, D.C., is a crossing point for a broad range of fascinating characters whose stories are intertwined. It is home to families and couples, professionals, homemakers, and job seekers. Some of the residents are related, some are friends, and others are connected only by geography. Bertrand Court also serves as a gathering place for their families and friends. Some neighbors are happy, others less so, but all of them harbor secret hopes, fears, and desires. In seventeen individual narratives strung together mostly by proximity, Brafman (Washing the Dead, 2015) delves deeply into the hidden lives of the people of this enclave. From infertility to new-parent exhaustion, from tested loyalty to infidelity, from career advancement to losing it all, their experiences and inner struggles are laid bare as they seek peace, redemption, and comfort. Though the sheer number of characters can be difficult to follow, Brafman's talent for drawing human emotion shines through in this episodic, deeply sensitive, and introspective novel of the human psyche.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)