The Sleepwalker

Chris Bohjalian’s “The Sleepwalker” “The Sleepwalker” is a fascinating tale of deceit, sorrow, and suppressed need. Mother and wife Annalee Ahlberg disappear late one night from her bed. Annalee suffers from sleepwalking, a condition that can present in strange and terrible ways. Her family is prepared for the worst. Some questions come up when they look for her: Why is Gavin Rikert, the hazel-eyed detective, so knowledgeable about her mother?

Why was it that Annalee only got out of bed when her father wasn’t there? And where was the body, assuming she did indeed pass away while sleepwalking? The book explores the weird and enigmatic realm of parasomnia, which is a state in between consciousness and dreaming, and skillfully tells an intriguing and suspenseful story.