Overview
Acclaimed author Alice Mattison’s new novel explores the hard choices a young woman and her friends made decades earlier at the height of the Vietnam War.
Decades ago in Brooklyn, three girls demonstrated against the Vietnam War. Helen became a violent revolutionary and was killed in a protest in 1970. Val wrote a controversial book that was essentially a novelization of Helen’s life. And Olive became an editor and writer, now comfortably settled with her husband, Griff, in New Haven.When Olive is asked to write an essay about Val’s book, doing so brings back to the forefront Olive and Griff’s tangled histories. Things only become more fraught when Griff borrows Olive’s treasured first edition of the novel—and loses it. Then Griff’s new colleague, Jean, finds the book and begins reading it, setting off a series of events that will introduce new conflicts, tragedies, and friendships into the precarious balance of Olive and Griff’s once stable home.
Conscience, the dazzling new novel from award-winning author Alice Mattison, paints the nuanced relationships between the palpable personalities of Olive, Griff, and Jean with her signature wit and precision. And as Mattison explores the ways in which women make a difference—for good or ill—in the world, she elegantly weaves together the past and the present, and the political and the personal.
Decades ago in Brooklyn, three girls demonstrated against the Vietnam War. Helen became a violent revolutionary and was killed in a protest in 1970. Val wrote a controversial book that was essentially a novelization of Helen’s life. And Olive became an editor and writer, now comfortably settled with her husband, Griff, in New Haven.When Olive is asked to write an essay about Val’s book, doing so brings back to the forefront Olive and Griff’s tangled histories. Things only become more fraught when Griff borrows Olive’s treasured first edition of the novel—and loses it. Then Griff’s new colleague, Jean, finds the book and begins reading it, setting off a series of events that will introduce new conflicts, tragedies, and friendships into the precarious balance of Olive and Griff’s once stable home.
Conscience, the dazzling new novel from award-winning author Alice Mattison, paints the nuanced relationships between the palpable personalities of Olive, Griff, and Jean with her signature wit and precision. And as Mattison explores the ways in which women make a difference—for good or ill—in the world, she elegantly weaves together the past and the present, and the political and the personal.
While major retailers like Amazon may carry Conscience (A Novel), we specialize in bulk book sales and offer personalized service from our friendly, book-smart team based in Portland, Oregon. We’re proud to offer a Price Match Guarantee and a streamlined ordering experience from people who truly care.
We’re trusted by over 75,000 customers, many of whom return time and again. Want proof? Just check out our 25,000+ customer reviews—real feedback from people who love how we do business.
Prefer to talk to a real person? Our Book Specialists are here Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST and ready to help with your bulk order of Conscience (A Novel).