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The Guggenheim Mystery
by Robin StevensThe adventure that began in Siobhan Dowd's popular and acclaimed novel The London Eye Mystery at long last continues with Ted, Kat, and their cousin Salim investigating a theft at the Guggenheim Museum that's been pinned on Salim's mother! <P><P>When Ted and his big sister, Kat, take a trip to New York to visit their cousin Salim and their aunt Gloria, they think they're prepared for big-city adventures. But when a famous painting is stolen from the Guggenheim Museum, where Aunt Gloria works, the surprises begin to mount faster than they could have anticipated. With the police looking at Aunt Gloria as the prime suspect, Ted, Kat, and Salim become sleuthing partners, following a trail of clues across NYC to prove her innocence--and to pinpoint the real thief. Ultimately, it comes down to Ted, whose brain works in its own very unique way, to find the key to the mystery.
The Guide For Separated Parents: Putting children first
by Nick Woodall Karen WoodallChildren living in separated family situations fare best when their relationship with each of their parents continues to be close. Putting Children First helps mothers and fathers unlock and resolve the conflict around contact with children that can arise during and after separation. Using strategies such as parenting plans, scripted phone calls and parenting meetings, the book will enable parents to communicate effectively on all the most important things in their children's lives - and make relaxed arrangements for the continued involvement by both parents with their children.
The Guide For Separated Parents: Putting children first
by Nick Woodall Karen WoodallChildren living in separated family situations fare best when their relationship with each of their parents continues to be close. Putting Children First helps mothers and fathers unlock and resolve the conflict around contact with children that can arise during and after separation. Using strategies such as parenting plans, scripted phone calls and parenting meetings, the book will enable parents to communicate effectively on all the most important things in their children's lives - and make relaxed arrangements for the continued involvement by both parents with their children.
The Guide to Good Mental Health on the Autism Spectrum
by Jeanette Purkis Wenn B. Lawson Emma Goodall Kirsty Dempster-Rivett Jane NugentFilled with strategies and advice, this empowering guide presents practical ways to improve the mental wellbeing of people on the Autism Spectrum. This helpful guide focusses on the specific difficulties that can arise for people on the autism spectrum who may also experience a mental illness. The book includes information on common mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, as well as strategies for improving sleep patterns and mindfulness. Providing guidance on the benefits and drawbacks of therapy pets, medication, and psychotherapy, the authors offer balanced perspectives on treatment options and introduce self-help strategies tailored to meet your needs and improve your mental wellbeing. A number of short personal narratives from people on the autism spectrum and mental health issues illustrate the text. The book also includes a list of resources, books and organisations that can provide further support and inspiration.
The Guiltiest Secrets
by Shelan RodgerIn this psychological drama, painful memories of a childhood tragedy drive a grieving Englishwoman to volunteer in Kenya in hopes of healing. When Chala loses her beloved stepfather, it opens the floodgates to a lifetime of secrets. Since childhood, Chala has battled with the guilt she feels for a tragedy that changed the entire course of her life. Now, she is forced to re-evaluate everything she believed about those she loved. On a soul-searching trip to Kenya, Chala learns that some things are harder to bear than the burden she carries. To be free, she must return to the past, to the yellow room, and risk finding that the worst things she believes about herself are true. *Previously published as Yellow Room
The Guilty Die Twice: A Legal Thriller
by Don HartshornTwo estranged brothers represent opposing sides of a high-profile double-murder case in this legal thriller debut.Ten years ago, a capital murder case in the heart of Texas split the Lynch family in two. Conscience-stricken Travis left his high-powered law firm to become a public defender, while bullish Jake rose to become District Attorney. Now, estranged lawyer brothers Travis and Jake Lynch find themselves on opposing sides of an Austin courtroom in a high-profile, grisly double murder case—with another accused criminal’s life on the line. Both Lynches are convinced they’re on the right side, but the truth turns out to be more complicated—and deadly.A drug deal double-cross turns lethal, killing two college students and leaving one paralyzed. The victim never saw the gunman but he knows one name: Sam Park. Travis defended Sam’s brother years before. His heart won’t let him turn down the case, even knowing it’ll bring him face-to-face with Jake after ten years of cold silence. Jake, meanwhile, runs afoul of the Austin political machine and needs a case like this to win an upcoming election. And Sam, the prime suspect, won’t talk—not to Travis, and certainly not to the high-and-mighty DA—and time is running out. . . .Can these feuding brothers put aside a decade of enmity in the name of true justice? Or will the truth of what really happened that bloody night go to the grave with Sam Park?Perfect for fans of Due Process by Scott Pratt, The Family Lawyer by James Patterson, Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, and The Fifth Justice by John Ellsworth.
The Guilty One
by Sophie LittlefieldFrom the award-winning author of The Missing Place—in which “Littlefield’s writing shines" (The Boston Globe)—another gripping exploration of the damage people can do to each other, and the resilience they find in themselves.A man stands on the Golden Gate Bridge, poised to jump…if a woman on the other end of the phone tells him to. Maris’s safe suburban world was shattered the day her daughter was found murdered, presumably at the hands of the young woman’s boyfriend. Her marriage crumbling, her routine shattered, Maris walks away from her pampered life as a Bay Area mom the day she receives a call from Ron, father of her daughter’s killer. Wracked with guilt over his son’s actions (and his own possible contribution to them), he asks Maris a single question: should he jump? With a man’s life in her hands, Maris must decide, perhaps for the first time, what she truly wants. Retribution? Forgiveness? Or something more? Having lost everything, she’s finally free to recreate herself without the confining labels of “wife,” “mother,” or “mourner.” But will this shocking offer free her, or destroy her?
The Guineveres: A Novel
by Sarah Domet“Deft and lovely…The perfect weight, in all ways. It’s suitable for a vacation, and you can describe it in one inviting line, but then it keeps unfolding and deepening, taking unexpected turns.” —TheNew York Times Book ReviewTo four girls who have nothing, their friendship is everything: they are each other’s confidants, teachers, and family. The girls are all named Guinevere—Vere, Gwen, Ginny, and Win—and it is the surprise of finding another Guinevere in their midst that first brings them together. They come to The Sisters of the Supreme Adoration convent by different paths, delivered by their families, each with her own complicated, heartbreaking story that she safeguards. Gwen is all Hollywood glamour and swagger; Ginny is a budding artiste with a sentiment to match; Win’s tough bravado isn’t even skin deep; and Vere is the only one who seems to be a believer, trying to hold onto her faith that her mother will one day return for her. However, the girls are more than the sum of their parts and together they form the all powerful and confident The Guineveres, bound by the extraordinary coincidence of their names and girded against the indignities of their plain, sequestered lives.The nuns who raise them teach the Guineveres that faith is about waiting: waiting for the mail, for weekly wash day, for a miracle, or for the day they turn eighteen and are allowed to leave the convent. But the Guineveres grow tired of waiting. And so when four comatose soldiers from the War looming outside arrive at the convent, the girls realize that these men may hold their ticket out.In prose shot through with beauty, Sarah Domet weaves together the Guineveres’ past, present, and future, as well as the stories of the female saints they were raised on, to capture the wonder and tumult of girlhood and the magical thinking of young women as they cross over to adulthood.
The Guncle
by Steven RowleyFrom the author of Lily and the Octopus comes a moving and deeply funny novel about a once-famous sitcom star who is left to care for his niece and nephew after an unexpected family tragedy. Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them … in small doses, with their parents there to handle the tears and tricky questions. So when tragedy strikes and Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian, he is, honestly, overwhelmed.Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a stalled acting career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to young children. But when he realises that parenting isn&’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick&’s eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility and the realisation that, sometimes, being vulnerable is the only way to heal from grief. Tender, charming and laugh-out-loud funny, The Guncle is a testament to finding happiness and peace in the most trying of times. &‘Steven Rowley&’s The Guncle is a gift. At once funny, charming and heartbreaking, it&’s that rare novel that will have you laughing out loud, even through tears. I have yet to meet a person who did not love this book.&’ Sally Hepworth, bestselling author of The Good Sister and The Younger Wife&‘A joyous Auntie Mame spritz! A reading pleasure; pour yourself a tall glass and enjoy, preferably poolside. You deserve it!&’ Andrew Sean Greer, winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Less
The Guncle (THE GUNCLE)
by Steven RowleyWinner of the Thurber Prize for American HumorNational Bestseller • Wall Street Journal Bestseller • USA Today BestsellerAn NPR Book of the YearFinalist for the 2021 Goodreads Choice AwardsFrom the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Editor comes a warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous gay sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew for the summer.Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is, honestly, overwhelmed.So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick's brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of "Guncle Rules" ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled acting career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting--even if temporary--isn't solved with treats and jokes, Patrick's eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you're unfailingly human.With the humor and heart we've come to expect from bestselling author Steven Rowley, The Guncle is a moving tribute to the power of love, patience, and family in even the most trying of times.
The Guncle Abroad (THE GUNCLE #2)
by Steven RowleyAN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLERAn Indie Next PickPatrick O'Hara is called back to his guncle duties . . . This time for a big family wedding in Italy.Patrick O&’Hara is back. It&’s been five years since his summer as his niece Maisie and nephew Grant&’s caretaker after their mother&’s passing. The kids are back in Connecticut with their dad, and Patrick has relocated to New York to remain close by and relaunch his dormant acting career. After the run of his second successful sit-com comes to a close, Patrick feels on top of the world . . . professionally. But some things have had to take a back seat. Looking down both barrels at fifty, Patrick is single again after breaking things off with Emory. But at least he has a family to lean on. Until that family needs to again lean on him.When Patrick's brother, Greg, announces he&’s getting remarried in Italy, Maisie and Grant are not thrilled. Patrick feels drawn to take the two back under his wing. As they travel through Europe on their way to the wedding, Patrick tries his best to help them understand love, much as he once helped them comprehend grief. But when they arrive in Italy, Patrick is overextended managing a groom with cold feet; his sister, Clara, flirting with guests left and right; a growing rivalry with the kids&’ charming soon-to-be-launt (lesbian aunt), and two moody young teens trying to adjust to a new normal, all culminating in a disastrous rehearsal dinner.Can Patrick save the day? Will teaching the kids about love help him repair his own love life? Can the change of scenery help Patrick come to terms with finally growing up? Gracing the page with his signature blend of humor and heart, Steven Rowley charms with a beloved story about the complicated bonds of family, love, and what it takes to rediscover yourself, even at the ripe age of fifty.
The Guncle Guide: Tips, Wisdom, Stories, and Advice for Everyone's Favorite Family Member
by Glenn GarnerGay uncles have become one of the most beloved family members (not to mention amazing role models), and National Guncles Day has even become a social media-approved holiday, inspiring adorable Instagram photo ops. The family dynamic in the 21st century has become anything but typical. With the progress of social awareness in our society, there comes a new, ever-changing, diverse face of America. But one thing that&’s almost universal with the American family is the guncle! Introductory material from Daniel Franzese (Mean Girls, Looking, Party Monster) and Johnny Sibilly (Pose, The Deuce, Liza on Demand) sets the tone for this fun, interactive guide all guncles will enjoy. Packed with relateable and sometimes surprising stories, you'll also find: Quotes from famous guncles like James Baldwin, Oscar Wilde, RuPaul Charles, Ian McKellen, Harvey Milk, Lil Nas X, and moreGuncle Wisdom boxes containing takeaways from the chaptersAdvice on how to talk to your nieces and nephews about being gay and coming out (you or them!)Stats on LGBTQ youth and mental healthThe ultimate guncle bucket listHow to spoil your nieces and nephewsPhoto tips for being the best insta-guncle aroundAnd more! In The Guncle Guide, Glenn Garner, who has gained a lifetime of knowledge as a gay uncle to twenty-two nieces and nephews, imparts some of that wisdom through heartwarming anecdotes and useful tips and tricks. This book will make the perfect gift for your own beloved guncle.
The Guts
by Roddy DoyleA triumphant return to the characters of Booker Prize-winning writer Roddy Doyle's breakout first novel, The Commitments, now older, wiser, up against cancer and midlife. Jimmy Rabbitte is back. The man who invented the Commitments back in the 1980s is now 47, with a loving wife, 4 kids...and bowel cancer. He isn't dying, he thinks, but he might be.Jimmy still loves his music, and he still loves to hustle--his new thing is finding old bands and then finding the people who loved them enough to pay money online for their resurrected singles and albums. On his path through Dublin, between chemo and work he meets two of the Commitments--Outspan Foster, whose own illness is probably terminal, and Imelda Quirk, still as gorgeous as ever. He is reunited with his long-lost brother, Les, and learns to play the trumpet....This warm, funny novel is about friendship and family, about facing death and opting for life. It climaxes in one of the great passages in Roddy Doyle's fiction: 4 middle-aged men at Ireland's hottest rock festival watching Jimmy's son's band, Moanin' at Midnight, pretending to be Bulgarian and playing a song called "I'm Goin' to Hell" that apparently hasn't been heard since 1932.... Why? You'll have to read The Guts to find out.
The Guys' Guide to Being a Birth Partner: Everything You Need to Plan for Birth and Bring Your Baby Home
by Andrew ShawWho's the man with the kick-ass birth plan? You are! With all the attention on moms, dads can feel pretty lost in the whole birth and pregnancy thing. The Guys' Guide to Being a Birth Partner is here to help you out, giving you the info you need to be superstar support for your partner and new baby. Taking you from the third trimester of pregnancy to going home with your new bundle of joy, this guide to being a birth partner prepares you for the thoughts, feelings, and choices that are part of helping your baby enter the world. How can you and your partner plan ahead for pain management? Why does everyone keep using the word "cervix"? What should you put in your go-bag? Get answers to the questions you're asking as a birth partner—and those you haven't thought of yet. The Guys' Guide to Being a Birth Partner helps with: Straightforward advice for dads—Cut to the chase with clear guidance for new birth partners—without the wordy medical jargon. The final stretch—Get ready for the big day with essential tips for everything from creating a birth plan to supporting your partner through labor and birth. Now what?—Keep things super simple with plenty of tips for handling those first few days at home so you and your partner can focus on the new baby. Get ready to knock being a birth partner out of the park.
The Hairdresser’s Son
by Gerbrand BakkerInternational Dublin Literary Award–winning Gerbrand Bakker gives voice to the visceral power of family ties in a novel brimming with Knausgaardian detailWhen his wife tells him she is pregnant, Cornelis packs his bags and boards a plane—a day later he is dead. Now grown, Simon roams the barbershop his father left him, honing razors and polishing mirrors in a shop marked FERMÉ. He sees his customers one by one, massaging scalps and shaving throats in an intimate, physical dance. There&’s only one customer whose presence in Simon&’s impeccable shop breaks this silent routine: the writer. Trimming the fine tips of the writer&’s eyebrows, Simon loses himself in a parallel life—one where he lives and grows old with the writer, shaping a crewcut around an &“old, weathered face.&” The writer, looking for a life to fold into his next book, becomes entranced by the mystery surrounding Simon&’s father—in the patterns of their conversation, Cornelis&’s absence is renewed. As Simon begins to scour for the traces his father left behind, a carefully observed portrait of love and loneliness emerges. With subdued prose and bracing, sometimes pungent closeness, Gerbrand Bakker writes life itself into his characters.
The Haj
by Leon UrisLeon Uris returns to the land of his acclaimed best-seller Exodus for an epic story of hate and love, vengeance and forgiveness and forgiveness. The Middle East is the powerful setting for this sweeping tale of a land where revenge is sacred and hatred noble. Where an Arab ruler tries to save his people from destruction but cannot save them from themselves. When violence spreads like a plague across the lands of Palestine - this is the time of The Haj.
The Half Brother
by Holly LecrawA passionate, provocative story of complex family bonds and the search for identity set within the ivy-covered walls of a New England boarding schoolWhen Charlie Garrett arrives as a young teacher at the shabby-yet-genteel Abbott School, he finds a world steeped in privilege and tradition. Fresh out of college and barely older than the students he teaches, Charlie longs to leave his complicated southern childhood behind and find his place in the rarefied world of Abbottsford. Before long he is drawn to May Bankhead, the daughter of the legendary school chaplain; but when he discovers he cannot be with her, he forces himself to break her heart, and she leaves Abbott--he believes forever. He hunkers down in his house in the foothills of Massachusetts, thinking his sacrifice has contained the damage and controlled their fates. But nearly a decade later, his peace is shattered when his golden-boy half brother, Nick, comes to Abbott to teach--and May returns as a teacher as well. Students and teachers alike are drawn by Nick's magnetism, and even May falls under his spell. When Charlie pushes his brother and his first love together, with what he believes are the best of intentions, a love triangle ensues that is haunted by desire, regret, and a long-buried mystery. With wisdom and emotional generosity, LeCraw takes us through a year that transforms both the teachers and students of Abbott forever. Page-turning, lyrical, and ambitious, The Half Brother is a powerful examination of family, loyalty, and love.From the Hardcover edition.
The Half Brother: A Novel
by Kenneth Steven Lars Saabye ChristensenAt the end of World War II, twenty-year-old Vera is brutally raped by an unknown assailant. From that rape is born a boy named Fred, a misfit who later becomes a talented boxer. Vera's young son, Barnum, forms a special but bizarre relationship with his half brother, fraught with rivalry and dependence as well as love. "I should have been your father," Fred tells Barnum, "instead of the fool who says he is."It is Barnum, who is now a screenwriter with a fondness for lies and alcohol, who narrates his family's saga. As he shares his family's history, he chronicles generations of independent women and absent and flawed men whom he calls the Night Men. Among them is his father, Arnold, who bequeaths to Barnum his circus name, his excessively small stature, and a con man's belief in the power of illusion.Filled with a galaxy of finely etched characters, this prize-winning novel is a tour de force and a literary masterpiece richly deserving of the accolades it has received.
The Half Life of Molly Pierce
by Katrina LenoA gorgeous and visceral page-turner reminiscent of the film Memento, The Half Life of Molly Pierce is perfect for fans of Gabrielle Zevin's Elsewhere and Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall.For all of her seventeen years, Molly feels like she's missed bits and pieces of her life. Now she's figuring out why. Now she's remembering her own secrets. And in doing so, Molly uncovers the separate life she seems to have led . . . and the love that she can't let go.
The Half Life of Stars: A Novel
by Louise WenerClaire's older brother, Daniel, has disappeared. He leaves work one Friday afternoon, shortly before Christmas, and vanishes into thin air. Married, successful, rich, there seems no reason why he would abandon his life. Has he been killed? Has he been kidnapped? Or has he just had enough?Set between London and Miami, this is the story of a family with ghosts to bury. It opens on the day of the Challenger shuttle explosion at Cape Canaveral: a tragic moment that rips this family apart and sets Daniel's disappearance in motion some 18 years later. In the midst of it all sits Claire—divorced, irresponsible, fluent in six foreign languages yet hopeless at interpreting life. It is Claire who knows Daniel best. It is Claire who becomes convinced that she knows where her older brother is and sets off on a journey to find him.
The Half Moon: A Novel
by Mary Beth Keane&“An insightful, riveting study of marriage.&” —People From the bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes, a masterful and &“absorbing&” (The New York Times) novel about a couple in a small town navigating the complexities of marriage, family, and longing.Malcolm Gephardt, handsome and gregarious longtime bartender at the Half Moon, has always dreamed of owning a bar. When his boss finally retires, Malcolm stretches to buy the place. He sees unquantifiable magic and potential in the Half Moon and hopes to transform it into a bigger success, but struggles to stay afloat. His smart and confident wife, Jess, has devoted herself to her law career. After years of trying for a baby, she is facing the idea that motherhood may not be in the cards for her. Like Malcolm, she feels her youth beginning to slip away and wonders how to reshape her future. &“A quick and impactful read that will stay with you long after you finish it&” (theSkimm), The Half Moon takes place over the course of one week when Malcolm learns shocking news about Jess, a patron of the bar goes missing, and a blizzard hits the town of Gillam, trapping everyone in place. With a deft eye and generous spirit, Mary Beth Keane explores the disappointments and unexpected consolations of midlife, the many forms forgiveness can take, the complicated intimacy of small-town living, and what it means to be a family.
The Half Sister: A Novel
by Sandie JonesFrom Sandie Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hello Sunshine Book Club pick The Other Woman, comes The Half Sister; a compelling domestic suspense novel about a family who is forever changed when a stranger arrives at their door.Meet the half sister, and unravel the ties that blind us.THE TRUTHSisters Kate and Lauren meet for Sunday lunch every week without fail, especially after the loss of their father.THE LIEBut a knock at the door is about to change everything. A young woman by the name of Jess holds a note with the results of a DNA test, claiming to be their half sister.THE UNTHINKABLEAs the fallout starts, it's clear that they are all hiding secrets, and perhaps this family isn't as perfect as it appears.
The Half Wives: A Novel
by Stacia Pelletier&“Part historical fiction, part heartbreaking romance, part bildungsroman, this book takes readers on a journey rich with detail and darkness&” (Seattle Book Review). Henry Plageman is a master secret-keeper. A former Lutheran minister, he lost his faith after losing his infant son, Jack, many years ago; his wife, Marilyn, remains consumed by grief. But Henry has another life—another woman and another child—unknown to Marilyn. His lover, Lucy, yearns for a man she can be with openly while their eight-year-old daughter, Blue, tries to make sense of her parents&’ fractured lives The Half Wives follows these interconnected characters through one momentous day, May 22, 1897, the sixteenth anniversary of Jack&’s birth. Marilyn distracts herself with charity work. Henry needs to talk his way out of the police station, where he has spent the night for disorderly conduct. Lucy must rescue the intrepid Blue, who has fallen in a saltwater well. Before long, the four will be drawn to the same destination—the city cemetery on the outskirts of San Francisco—where the collision of lives and secrets leaves no one unaltered. A Finalist for the Townsend Prize &“The developing San Francisco of the 1890s becomes a rich background for these three as they play out their messy, somber, intertwined fates.&” —The New York Times Book Review &“A poignant, sometimes heart-rending, beautifully crafted, always gripping tale of loss and love, and the human need to try to set things right.&” —Kevin Baker, author of The Big Crowd &“Pelletier&’s writing is moving and enthralling . . . [She] keeps readers hooked right up to the book&’s satisfying conclusion.&” —Publishers Weekly
The Half-Court Hero (Zach and Zoe Mysteries, The #2)
by Mike Lupica#1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica begins an exciting new chapter book series, perfect for fans of Cam Jansen, featuring his trademark sports action and heart, and a lovable twin brother-sister duo who solve sports-related mysteries.There's nothing eight-year-old twins Zach and Zoe Walker love more than playing sports and solving mysteries. And when those two worlds collide . . . well it doesn't get any better than that. When the twins start a summer basketball league at their local park, they notice the once rundown court is getting freshened up with each passing day. First new nets, then the benches have been completely restored. But who's behind it? Zach and Zoe are on the case!In the opening installments of the Zach and Zoe Mysteries, bestselling author Mike Lupica begins a series for a new and younger audience, introducing readers to a sports-loving detective duo who can swing for the fences and catch the culprit in one fell swoop. With a recipe equal parts sports and mystery, the Zach and Zoe Mysteries break fresh ground for an author who has been called the greatest sportswriter for kids.
The Half-Life of Guilt: A Novel
by Lynn StegnerA tour de force work of fiction with interweaving themes of environmentalism, past trauma, and redemption. Here is a novel that explores the manner in which Clair and Mason take on guilt where none is warranted and its lasting impact on how they navigate their lives.Lynn Stegner’s acclaimed novels and story collections have drawn comparisons to the works of Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver, Alice Munro, and John Updike. Now in her new novel, The Half-Life of Guilt, Stegner tells the story of Clair Bugato and Mason Comstock. Together they journey to the world’s largest saltworks in Baja California, where a proposed expansion threatens the California gray whale population, recently come back from the brink of extinction.In the midst of a conservation battle, they meet a mysterious son of Mexico, Rubio Cantú, who leads them to the powers that be. Their two-week journey sends Clair deep into the past, where she reviews the divergent paths she and her near-identical twin sister have taken away from a childhood tragedy. At the same time, Mason confronts his own unhappy past in Cornwall, England, with a father whose hate was stronger than his love.No other work of fiction patterns the warp and weft of human guilt, the homesickness only love can cure, environmental crises, the intrinsic conflict between international commerce and planetary health, and the necessity of forgiveness. The Half-Life of Guilt is woven from these themes, delivering to the reader an engrossing and transformative literary experience.