Pursuit

As a child, Abby had the same recurring nightmare in which she wandered through a field ridden with human skulls and bones. Now an adult, Abby thinks she's outgrown her demons, until, the evening before her wedding to Willem, the terrible dream returns and forces her to confront the dark secrets from her past. The following day - less than 24 hours after exchanging vows - Abby steps out into traffic. As his wife lies in her hospital bed, Willem tries to determine whether this was an absentminded accident or a premeditated plunge, and he quickly discovers a mysterious set of clues about what his wife might be hiding. Slowly, Abby begins to open up to her husband. With a suspenseful, alternating narrative that travels between the present and Abby's tortured childhood, 'Pursuit' is a meticulously crafted, deeply disquieting tale that showcases Oates's masterful storytelling.