THE TRIBE

In this psychological thriller sequel, a stonemason struggles to distinguish reality from his increasingly complex world of dreams.

There’s good news for Michael Colt and his live-in girlfriend, Sue Kick. The couple’s first child will soon join their quiet life in Wisconsin. But Michael’s dreams lately have been bizarre and often baffling. Sometimes he dreams of apparently forgotten memories, such as his journey from Austria to the United States as an infant—with his long-dead parents he’s never remembered. He also dreams of things that either haven’t actually happened or belong in someone else’s memory bank; in one instance, he’s seriously injured jumping a wall only to wake up unscathed. And he’s not always waking up in bed, as he occasionally enters into a “trance,” even with Sue right next to him. All of this understandably confuses Michael as well as Sue, who has vivid dreams of her own. The story culminates with Michael in a dream world that he’s apparently created, with a series of doors that will hopefully lead him to illumination. While Siwicki infuses this leisurely paced narrative with ambiguity, the myriad dream scenes are generally discernible. Michael, for example, pops up in unexpected places, like “some sort of old government building.” The dream memories are also intriguing. Sue’s similar dream of herself as a newborn centers on her stepfather finding a tiny baby girl under a table at a bar. This novel primarily moves from dreams to Michael and Sue’s family moments (for example, hanging wallpaper) along with the author’s intermittent asides on such topics as religion, science, and mind travel. The final act spins off into new territory and introduces fresh elements, including the enigmatic “Rim Stone” and the titular Tribe. But readers shouldn’t expect much clarification, which Siwicki is evidently saving for the next installment.

A measured, enjoyable dream tale that offers more questions than answers.