When Abby was a child, she had the same recurring nightmare each and every night. In it, she wanders through a field where she finds human skeletons that are bound together with a pair of handcuffs. Since she was so young at the time, she didn’t understand the significance of the dream and whether or not it was real.

"...an intriguing novel that is definitely worth reading, especially if you are a fan of this legendary, award-winning author."

Abby eventually outgrew these nightmares --- that is, until the night before her wedding, when she has the same dream and wakes up in a cold sweat. She marries her fiancé, Willem, the next morning in a short ceremony, and both proceed to go to their day jobs as they can’t afford to take any time off from work for a honeymoon. However, this dream consumes Abby’s thoughts as she prepares for work. The images are so strong and familiar that she can’t shake them. She gets off the bus before her usual stop, and in a mental fog steps out in front of it and is nearly killed.

Abby’s injuries are so bad that she is in a coma for several days. When she finally comes out of it, she realizes that she has to figure out if the things she saw in the dream are what she experienced in real life as a young girl. To solve the mystery, she must trust in her husband and open up to him in a way that she has never done with him or anyone else before. The story is told from different perspectives --- Abby and Willem, along with her parents --- while alternating between the past and the present.

Joyce Carol Oates writes in a fast-paced style, taking readers quickly through scenes that change from speaker to speaker and time frame to time frame. As a result, it is difficult at times to keep up with the storyline. Still, THE PURSUIT is an intriguing novel that is definitely worth reading, especially if you are a fan of this legendary, award-winning author.