Trust (novel)

Trust is a 2022 novel by Hernan Diaz. It is a metafictional narrative constructed as a novel within a novel, presented in four distinct and interconnected parts that offer varying perspectives on a wealthy couple in 1920s New York City and their role in the 1929 stock market crash.

The first part, titled "Bonds," is a fictionalized account of the couple's life written by Harold Vanner. The subsequent sections challenge Vanner's narrative and reveal the 'true' story. These sections include an unfinished autobiography by Benjamin Rask, a wealthy financier portrayed in "Bonds"; a memoir by his wife, Helen Brevoort Rask, written by Ida Partenza; and the diary entries of Mildred Bevel, providing a further layer of complexity and potentially unreliable narration.

The novel explores themes of wealth, power, truth, fiction, memory, and the control of narrative. Diaz examines how history is constructed and manipulated, particularly by those with the resources to do so. The shifting perspectives and contrasting accounts force the reader to question the reliability of each narrator and to consider the subjective nature of truth. The novel also delves into the inner lives of its characters, exploring their motivations, desires, and the emotional toll of their wealth and influence.