"Interstate" By Stephen Dixon
0Stephen Dixon's Interstate delves into the profound emotional terrain of memory, trauma, and guilt experienced by parents whose children have been victims of violence. The novel centers around Nathan Frey, a father whose journey into grief and introspection is shaped by the unthinkable loss of his child. The narrative unfolds through a unique structural choice: the story is told eight times, with the same inciting incident—a father and his daughters encountering a violent attack while driving—serving as the catalyst for each retelling. However, as the novel progresses, each iteration introduces new dimensions or strips away elements of plot and character, creating a kaleidoscopic exploration of how tragedy reshapes perception and understanding.
At its core, the novel examines the ways memory and imagination intertwine, especially when a parent grapples with the fragility of life. For Nathan, the shooting of his daughter becomes a moment he cannot escape, one that loops endlessly in his mind. Each retelling suggests a different possibility: a desperate wish for a better outcome, an alternative scenario where tragedy is avoided, or a deeper dive into the unbearable pain of what did happen. Dixon captures the chaotic, nonlinear nature of trauma, presenting memory not as a fixed account of events but as a dynamic, ever-changing narrative shaped by guilt, regret, and love.
The alterations in each retelling serve to highlight the psychological fragmentation Nathan experiences. In one version, his response is immediate and heroic, reflecting a fantasy of control in an uncontrollable situation. In another, he is paralyzed by fear, consumed by his helplessness. These shifts underscore the way parents, particularly those who lose children to violence, replay and revise the past in their minds, searching for ways they might have altered the outcome. Dixon’s choice to revisit the same event repeatedly mirrors this obsessive, compulsive need to make sense of the senseless.
The novel also confronts societal issues surrounding violence, raising questions about its random and devastating impact. Through Nathan’s perspective, Dixon portrays the vulnerability of innocence and the fragile boundary between safety and catastrophe. His daughters, who embody joy and potential, are starkly contrasted with the sudden, irrevocable intrusion of violence. This juxtaposition amplifies the depth of Nathan’s anguish and his inability to reconcile the world’s unpredictability with his role as a protector.
What makes Interstate particularly compelling is Dixon’s ability to manipulate time and perspective. By revisiting the same moment from varied angles, he creates a layered, textured narrative that reflects the complexity of grief. The absence of a definitive version of events mirrors Nathan’s internal chaos and underscores the impossibility of fully understanding or resolving such a profound loss. Each version of the story reveals new facets of Nathan’s character, as well as the relationships he shares with his daughters, wife, and himself. These repeated narratives do not offer closure but instead deepen the reader’s understanding of how trauma fractures identity and distorts reality.
Despite its heavy themes, Interstate does not merely dwell on sorrow. Through Nathan’s fragmented memories and imaginings, Dixon also captures the tenderness and beauty of parental love. The moments shared between Nathan and his daughters—before and even within the tragedy—are imbued with a sense of warmth and connection that makes the loss all the more devastating. These glimpses of humanity and love provide a poignant counterpoint to the novel’s exploration of despair.
By retelling the same story eight times, Dixon challenges traditional narrative structures and demands an active engagement from the reader. The shifting details and perspectives force us to confront the elusive nature of truth and the ways in which our understanding of events is shaped by emotion and context. Through Nathan Frey’s harrowing journey, Interstate emerges as a powerful meditation on the enduring scars of violence, the unreliability of memory, and the unyielding grip of parental guilt. It is a novel that not only portrays trauma but embodies it, creating a reading experience that is as disorienting and haunting as the subject it seeks to explore.