The Law of Similars

Chris Bohjalian

"Like Cures Like", this is the Law of Similars, and sets the theme for an extremely well written novel by Chris Bohjalian. With this precept, Bohjahlan sets a stage, sends in the actors, hands them a script, and the result is a novel which is hard to put down from the first page.

Your protagonist steps onto the stage as the prosecuting attorney for a small town in Vermont, he's also a widower raising a five year old child. When we first meet him, he's in a struggle of several dimensions, his challenges as a single parent, his battle with grief over the loss of his wife, his loneliness and all the need which stems from that. Last but not least, a cold which has plagued him for months, and doesn't respond to any of the traditional medications. This is the key which opens the door to the rest of the novel. Enter Carissa, the local homeopath, a woman who not only practices homeopathic medicine, but also holds a degree in psychiatry. She meets our protagonist, diagnoses and then prescribes a "cure" for his cold. This cure yields, for Leland, the ultimate release from some of life's bitter grasps, as he finds himself transported to a level of contentment and pleasure he's not known since before the death of his wife. As can happen with those who release us from our prisons, whether they come in the form of a professional, or a stranger on the street, Leland finds himself captivated with our homeopath, in need not only of the medication she prescribes, but also the future she may hold for him. However, this future reigns far beyond anything Leland could have imagined, when our homeopath treats another patient with tragic results. Suddenly the web is laid and all who are entangled struggle with the reality of life and death, hope and dreams. Legal boundaries are twisted and strained as Leland struggles with both his love for Carissa, and his loyalty to his career as an attorney. As the novel nears its conclusion, the reader almost dreads the turn of pages because so many lives seem to be heading for disaster.

Bohjalian holds a strong pen throughout this novel, and if it has a weakness, I never discovered it. All of the elements used to draw this story are skillfully laid on the pages and the reader is perpetually drawn into the landslide of these people's lives. This is the second novel I've read by Bohjalian, the first being The Midwives. Of the two, I found this the stronger novel, the one which thrives on its own story. It's a high recommend. You won't be disappointed.