Flat Earth Theory is an interesting debut novel by Yael Egal featuring Tess, a Brooklyn French teacher, as the main protagonist. The story revolves around the aftermath of Tess’s divorce from her husband, Patrick, who had cheated on her several times. He is portrayed as a remorseless insensitive man. Tess is trying to get her life back on track post-divorce and provide stability for her two children. She has created, through comic sketches, an alter-ego by the name of Andrea who is a spy during the World War two era. The novel is written creatively often shifting between the life of Tess and the comic strip narrations sans the visual pictures. Instances of terrorism are portrayed that seem to intersect with the subconscious mind of Tess. The story leaves a lot unsaid and open to personal interpretation of the readers. Guy, a French parent of a student from Tess’s classroom is a romantic interest whom Tess dates for some time until she suspects he may not be what he seems…overall the plot and subplot kept me hooked and I read it in a couple of sittings. I would recommend Yael Egal’s debut novel to anyone who likes mysteries or political suspense genres.
The Neglected Ratio 