A Thousand Pardons. A Novel

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY KIRKUS REVIEWSFor readers of Jonathan Franzen and Richard Russo, Jonathan Dee's novels are masterful works of literary fiction. In this sharply observed tale of self-invention and public scandal, Dee raises a trenchant question: what do we really want when we ask for forgiveness?   Once a privileged and loving couple, the Armsteads have now reached a breaking point.
Ben, a partner in a prestigious law firm, has become unpredictable at work and withdrawn at home-a change that weighs heavily on his wife, Helen, and their preteen daughter, Sara. Then, in one afternoon, Ben's recklessness takes an alarming turn, and everything the Armsteads have built together unravels, swiftly and spectacularly.   Thrust back into the working world, Helen finds a job in public relations and relocates with Sara from their home in upstate New York to an apartment in Manhattan.
There, Helen discovers she has a rare gift, indispensable in the world of image control: She can convince arrogant men to admit their mistakes, spinning crises into second chances. Yet redemption is more easily granted in her professional life than in her personal one.   As she is confronted with the biggest case of her career, the fallout from her marriage, and Sara's increasingly distant behavior, Helen must face the limits of accountability and her own capacity for forgiveness.
Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader's Circle for author chats and more. Praise for A Thousand Pardons   "A Thousand Pardons is that rare thing: a genuine literary thriller. Eerily suspenseful and packed with dramatic event, it also offers a trenchant, hilarious portrait of our collective longing for authenticity in these overmediated times."-Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Visit from the Goon Squad"Hugely enjoyable .