Staff Pick
Darin Strauss dissects the one event that forever demarcates his life: as a teenager, he kills a schoolmate after hitting her with his car. To his credit, Strauss never once plays the pity card; instead he seems to question his every emotion and thought for signs of weakness. As he grows into adulthood, he shares his story with others and sits unflinchingly while they either excoriate or coddle him. No, this memoir is not for the faint of heart — demanding introspection and exhaustive emotional digging are the hallmarks of his life. Half a Life not only describes Strauss's life but also his schoolmate's life, and he mines this reality for all its subtle and explicit meaning. Kudos to Strauss for his strength in not only living this particular nightmare but for sharing it, as well. Recommended By Dianah H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Half my life ago, I killed a girl.
In this powerful, unforgettable memoir, acclaimed novelist Darin Strauss recounts a tragedy and its aftermath. In his last month of high school, just after turning eighteen, Strauss is behind the wheel of his father's Oldsmobile, driving with friends — having "thoughts of mini-golf, another thought of maybe just going to the beach."
Then out of the blue: a collision that results in the death of a bicycling classmate that shadows the rest of his life. In spare and piercing prose, Darin Strauss explores loss and guilt, maturity and accountability, hope and acceptance — and the result is a staggering, uplifting tour de force.
Review
"Elegant, painful, stunningly honest....huge [and] heartbreaking." The New York Times Book Review
Review
"Strauss has spent a good part of his adult life reliving, regretting and reflecting on a single, split-second incident. Half a Life is a starkly honest account of that fateful moment and his life thereafter." The Washington Post
Review
"A book that inspires admiration, sentence by sentence....This is a memoir in its finest form, a fully imagined and bittersweet book that transcends a single misstep." Chicago Tribune
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"Painfully raw and beautifully written." Los Angeles Times
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“A remarkable, beyond-brave memoir.” O: The Oprah Magazine
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"Lyrical and haunting." San Francisco Chronicle
About the Author
Darin Strauss is the bestselling author of three previous books. The recipient of a Guggenheim in fiction writing and numerous other awards, Strauss has seen his work translated into fourteen languages and published in more than twenty countries. He is a Clinical Associate Professor of Writing at New York University, and he lives with his wife and children in Brooklyn.