One of the reasons this book may resonate so well with readers is that very lesson about guilt. Carl becomes the mentor in the story and imparts to Joe the lesson that one cannot leave guilt behind.” Through the mystery, the reader learns about Carl’s attempt to ‘bury’ a part of his past, a part that fills him with guilt and eats at him. It is in dealing with his brother that Joe can grow as a person. This second plot line (the internal plot) is, to me, the more important of the two. “The second plot line is Joe’s running away from home to go to college, leaving his autistic brother behind with their dysfunctional mother. Did Carl Iverson kill Crystal Hagen and, if not, who did? It is through this plot line that the reader comes to know Carl and learn about the events that occurred in his past. The vehicle story line (the external plot) is the mystery. In my mind, I envisioned two stories running parallel to one another, but that also intersect as Joe Talbert completes his journey. When asked what the book was about, Eskens said, “‘The Life We Bury’ ultimately is a story about people dealing with guilt.

In this interview, Eskens discusses “The Life We Bury” and how it came into being.

He also didn’t expect to hear from readers whose hearts were touched by the book. “ The Life We Bury,” however, has been nominated for “Best First Novel” by Mystery Writers of America. When Allen Eskens decided to become a novelist, he never expected to be nominated for an Edgar with his first book.

The life we bury by allen eskens