DOUBLE BIND by Chris Bohjalian, 2007.
Excellently written novel that intertwines the homeless, bipolar disorder, and a mystery involving Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan (from The Great Gatsby). Set mainly in Vermont, the story moves back and forth from the 1920s to present day, and involves Laurel Estabrook, a social worker at a homeless shelter with a horrifyingly violent incident in her past, and an elderly, mentally ill homeless man, Bobbie Crocker, who has a box of photos that he won't let anyone see. After Bobbie's sudden death, the truth about him comes out: before he was homeless, he was a successful photographer who worked with subjects like Eartha Kitt and Robert Frost. Laurel, in looking through the photos, becomes fascinated with Bobbie's life and is convinced that there is a dark secret behind the photos. As she tries to fit the pieces of Bobbie's life together, she becomes aware that it is connecting with her own troubled past, and that someone desperately wants to keep that connection hidden. Interesting characters, an imaginative tie-in to a classic novel, beautiful Vermont scenery, vivid language, suspense enough to keep the story moving at a good clip, and a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. This is a really good page-turner.