Books like A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad presents a mosaic of stories that center on Bennie Salazar—an aging former punk rocker and record executive—and Sasha, a troubled young woman he hires. The book follows them in close, sometimes intimate detail, revealing how their paths intersect with an array of other characters over many years in places ranging from New York and San Francisco to Naples and Africa. The narrative also traces Sasha’s past, from a violent childhood to a run‑away stint in Naples and a life in college, as well as the lives of those around her, such as her uncle the art historian. Bennie is portrayed at both the low point of his adult life—divorced, grappling with fatherhood and nostalgic music—and in his youth during the San Francisco punk scene of 1979. Egan’s work examines the interplay of time, music, and personal transformation, delivering a mix of tragedy, satire and striking prose that captures the human hunger for redemption and the relentless march of time.

First publish date: 2010