Naomi Weisman is the writer and editor of Nomi's Pics in our Rambler Café Blog. She is a Canadian-Australian and mother of three who loves to ramble with her dog, cook for family and friends, and laugh whenever possible.
Why this book?
I chose this novel for our book club for a few reasons.
- I have been on a quest to read Pulitzer Prize winners—with a caveat: only if they spark interest.
- Most of us love historical fiction.
- The novel’s themes echo ongoing conversations about wealth, power, and truth in today’s world.
- Let’s be honest—who can resist a novel within a novel?
About the author
Hernan Diaz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning and New York Times best-selling author known for his inventive narrative structures and deeply intelligent prose. His debut novel, In the Distance, was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award, and Trust has only expanded his acclaim. Trust has been translated into over thirty languages, received the Kirkus Prize, was longlisted for the Booker Prize, and was celebrated by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Time, and even former President Barack Obama as one of the best books of the year. Diaz’s work has appeared in The Paris Review, Granta, The Atlantic, Harper’s Magazine, and more. He is also the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the John Updike Award.
Summary
Set amid the glittering excess of 1920s New York, Trust follows the story of financier Benjamin Rask and his enigmatic wife, Helen. Their rise to dizzying wealth and social prominence becomes the subject of a 1937 novel titled Bonds, which captures the public imagination. But as the book unfolds, multiple narratives challenge that account, each revealing different angles of the same story.
Structured in four distinct sections—a fictional novel, a memoir, a manuscript, and a diary—Trust becomes a literary puzzle, encouraging readers to question authorship, truth, and historical legacy. At its heart, it's a book about who gets to tell the story—and why that matters.
Themes to ponder
- Voice and Visibility – Who is heard and who is silenced? What happens when one narrative dominates?
- Power and Morality– What are the costs of immense wealth and influence?
- Gender and Subjugation– How are women, especially Helen, obscured by the institutions and relationships around them?
Questions to guide your reading
- Narrative Structure
Trust is told through four documents: a novel-within-the-novel, an unfinished manuscript, a memoir, and a diary. Why do you think Diaz chose to layer the story this way? How do these sections complicate or deepen your understanding of the characters and events?
- Perspective and Revelation
Each narrative offers a different point of view on the same people and time period. Which section surprised you the most? Were there moments that shifted your entire interpretation of the story?
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Power and Historical Narrative
Power and the shaping of history are closely intertwined in this book. How does Diaz explore who gets to write history? How do characters like Helen, Benjamin, and Andrew Bevel wield their influence—or lack thereof?
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Visibility and Erasure
Which characters are publicly visible, and which are hidden or marginalized? What role does gender play in this imbalance? How does visibility (or invisibility) affect legacy? -
Money and Morality
Can wealth exist without moral compromise in Trust? How do you see the relationship between money and ethics play out in the characters’ lives—and perhaps even in our own world?
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Rewriting History
Did the novel change the way you think about how history is documented or remembered? Who decides what is remembered and what is forgotten? -
Gender, Race, and Capital
Trust urges readers to think critically about the place of women and minorities in a capitalist system. How does this dynamic play out in the novel, and how does it compare to contemporary issues of equity and representation?
Closing Thoughts
Trust is not just a novel—it’s a literary excavation. As each layer is peeled back, Diaz challenges readers to reexamine truth, legacy, and the stories we choose to believe. This book rewards slow reading, deep discussion, and the kind of thought that lingers long after the final page.
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