The Common Bond [Paperback]

Donigan Merritt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2008

When Morgan Cary flies home to Hawaii after a decade spent in California, he arrives with a broken heart and an overwhelming sense of guilt surrounding the death of his wife. He finds his way back to the comfort of Hilo's wet green mountain slopes, the pearl-colored volcanic haze, and the tropical perfume of gardenia, plumeria, and eucalyptus, but he also returns to the painful and persistent memories of his early days with Victoria–from the moment she walked into his life on the arm of his childhood best friend. Morgan's ghosts are many: they appear at the docks, in the motel rooms of the Sunset Lanai, and in the Red Pants fishermen's bar. He loses himself working alone as a commercial fishing boat captain, trolling the Pacific for yellowfin tuna and blue marlin, trying to surmount the crushing presence of his past. As he spirals further into his grief, the hope of a deliverance into the future appears through an unexpected friendship with a native Hawaiian family, and forces Morgan to sift through the worst of his memories as he searches for his life in the solace of the sea.

Resonant with human emotion and insight, The Common Bond is an exquisite novel of precision and grace that captures the depths of the human capacity for guilt, and the traps of compassion and hope in redemption.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Merritt goes to the Aloha State for his insightful latest foray into domestic upheaval. Morgan Cary is a one-hit wonder novelist and former Kona fisherman who returns to Hawaii following the sudden death of his alluring but emotionally volatile wife, Victoria. Uncertain of the events leading up to Victoria's death and immensely guilt-ridden, Morgan spends his days incapacitated with grief and his nights boozing. It's not until he meets Ben Kamakani, a fellow fisherman, that Morgan's life begins to regain a sense of purpose, and after Ben dies, Morgan buys his boat and truck and begins turning himself around. While Morgan's life rolls on, Merritt backtracks to unfurl Victoria's story, loaded with abandonment, betrayal and violence. It is soon clear that though Morgan and Victoria were married, they remained separated by their inabilities (or unwillingness) to understand one another. Merritt has the right instincts when it comes to exposing the vagaries of human relationships, and though his novel's structure is unruly, Merritt crafts a thorough emotional examination of a couple who spend their lives side by side while managing to remain unknown to one another. (Oct.)
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Review

MsLexia

“The language is rich and evocative capturing the truth of relationships…”


Publishers Weekly

“Insightful…Merritt has the right instincts when it comes to exposing the vagaries of human relationships…a thorough emotional examination of a couple who spend their lives side by side while managing to remain unknown to one another.”

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Other Press (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590513061
• ISBN-13: 978-1590513064
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,713,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

To find biographical information and information regarding his books, please visit Donigan Merritt's author webpage at http://doniganmerritt.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tropical goodness........, November 29, 2008

By 

Jean Brandt "faceinbook" (Richfield, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Common Bond (Paperback)

Donigan Merritt's novel is set in both Hawaii and California. The story follows two main characters, a young man who was raised in Hawaii and an ustable young woman who lived her younger years in Iowa. How these two individuals meet and eventually marry is an intriguing tale. Merritt writes this story with perfect pitch. Once I started reading this book, I was immediately drawn into the world created by this author.
To read about Merritt's Hawaii, is to almost be there. His characters are fleshed out and very real. I liked this book enough to check out his prior novels.
I would highly recommend this book to any reader. The book would make a great "book group" read. This story is about love, loss, a sense of place and the way back from a devestating, life altering event.
I notice that some of the tags on this book suggest a psychological aspect to the story. One of the main character, Victoria, is without a doubt, a study in psychological damage. Merritt tells her tale without using a sense of the "pity pool". One cannot help but feel for this troubled young woman. For me, when I am reading a book that evokes feelings, I've hit the jackpot ! The Common Bond qualifies for this catagory.

5.0 out of 5 stars Paradise Lost..., September 28, 2009

By 

I. Yeates (Saratoga Springs NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Common Bond (Paperback)

After I plodded through the first part of the book, the characters became more interesting and authentic. The basic plot was believable and the events were convincing. Morgan, a Haole, though he was born and raised in Hawaii, is a published author, but prefers a life of fishing with his childhood friend Tioni. Life is paradise until Tioni falls in love with Victoria, also a Haole, born in Minnesota and raised in Iowa. The inevitable occurs: Morgan falls in love with Victoria, and Victoria with Morgan. No longer able to tolerate a life as outcasts among the Hawaiian community, Morgan and Victoria marry and move to California.

Victoria is a very emotionally insecure and psychologically damaged woman whose childhood was riddled with unimaginable torment by those she trusted. Deserted by the people she thought loved her, she no longer trusts anyone, and requires constant reassurance from Morgan that he will never leave her.
She encourages Morgan to resume his academic life, and on the strength of his one published book, he is hired as a college professor. During his absences, Victoria strives to be the perfect wife and to develop her artistic talent.

Morgan fails miserably in his pursuit of academic acheivements as a professor and as a writer. Victoria experiences a traumatic event that pushes her to the edge. Are accidents really accidents or are they our subconscious pushing us in another direction?

Hawaii is the only comfort for Morgan after Victoria's death. In fact, drinking himself into a stupor each day seems to be the only release from memories and regrets.

Morgan soon discovers that redemption appears in many forms. And so do we.

Is the common bond that often elusive ability to forgive ourselves and move on with our lives? Or is it the realization that we all make mistakes which may alter our lives for better or worse? What is the common bond?