The Half-Life of Remorse

"An often engaging and heartwarming novel…” —Kirkus Reviews
"The true wizardry of The Half-Life of Remorse is how the random intersection of two homeless men evolves into a story of irresistible forward motion, stunning revelations, deepest human complexities and highest consequences. Underwriting this feat is Jarrett's ability to inhabit his fated characters absolutely, conjuring their voices, their minds, their wounds, their guilt, their haunted and mingled histories, with such spooky fidelity that you feel you are each one of them, and all of them, all at once. Original, gorgeous, exciting and deeply moving, The Half-Life of Remorse put my heart through all the paces." —Tim Johnston, author of New York Times bestseller Descent
"Acts of searing violence transform vulnerable lives in Grant Jarrett’s The Half-Life of Remorse. Through the anguished accounts of survivors who nearly died in that night of violence, and the delusions of one of the survivors who imagines himself capable of magic, Jarrett creates echoes of The Tempest and The Winter’s Tale. This resonant novel traces the lingering effects of trauma and exposes the greatest challenge for its primary characters: self-forgiveness." —Lee Upton, author of The Tao of Humiliation
"In The Half-Life of Remorse, Grant Jarrett proves his mastery of narrative voice, unflinching realism, and adroit yet artful storytelling.” —Mark Wisniewski, author of Watch Me Go
Past Praise for Grant Jarrett:
For The House That Made Me, edited by Grant Jarrett:
"Slim and succinct, this exquisite compilation shows how the universal nature of childhood experiences trump both cultural and geographical differences. —Library Journal, Starred Review
Featured as an Elle magazine's "Trust Us" book, May 2016
"The essays strike a variety of tones, including curiosity, ambivalence, thoughtfulness, and earnestness. Some writers emphasize the conceit of looking at their old homes from the vantage point of a satellite. Ru Freeman and Jen Michalski, in their pieces, discuss what can be seen and what is missing in the pictures, as well as what is impossible to capture. Jeffery Renard Allen and Pamela Erens return to Chicago’s North Side and South Side, respectively, to capture different aspects of the city. Other writers take readers to California, Canada, New York, and Sri Lanka. Some reexamine their families, while others consider the fragility of memory. All of the essays show, in their own ways, how homes make us and how we attempt to make homes for ourselves, at least in memory. Some readers may well be inspired to take similar journeys into the past." —Publishers Weekly
"Jarrett has compiled a powerful and must-read collection of meditations on the meaning of home. Each essay in this diverse collection—with writings from rural America to war-torn Sri Lanka—transports the reader on a fresh and riveting journey into the hauntings and heartbreak of childhood. As a whole these varied voices come together in a kind of symphony, a harmonious reminder that individual stories illuminate the connection we all have to one another. Ultimately, these voices together transform this book into its own kind of shelter." —Jennifer Percy, author of Demon Camp, a New York Times Notable Book
For Grant Jarrett's On Ways of Leaving:
Winner of the 2014 International Book Awards in Fiction: Best New Fiction
“Ruthlessly brilliant writing brings grace to a story smoldering in pain.” —Kirkus Reviews
“... an outstanding and devastating new novel ...” —Independent Publisher