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Absolution
Maggie Delaney is an idealistic wife and mother whose world implodes when her husband Richard is murdered in a botched convenience-store robbery. To her horror, Maggie learns the shooting may not have been an accident.When she attempts to find out what really happened, her search leads her back to her Carolina roots and through the streets of 1960s New York and modern-day Boston. Maggie retraces the steps of a generation that came of age in the 1960s, when the world was embroiled in conflict.As the murder trial draws near, disturbing questions arise about Richard and his possible role in military atrocities. Finally, in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Maggie uncovers a legacy of secrets about the man she thought she knew--and the troubled world they shared.
- GenresMystery
420 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2007
8 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Miriam Herin
4 books9 followersAuthor of two award-winning novels, ABSOLUTION and A STONE FOR BREAD, several award-winning short stories.
Born in Miami, Florida, attended elementary school and two years of Junior High, moved to Arlington, Virginia. Fell in love with its proximity to D.C.
Worked as a clerk-typist at the Office of Education four summers during college, spending lunch hours in D.C's National Gallery of Art and Smithsonian.
Received a B.A. in English from Emory & Henry College, lived a summer in a Mexican village, attended grad school a year, at the University of South Carolina, quit, worked as a social worker 3 years at a children's institution, returned to grad school, earned two degrees in English Lit, taught GED part-time at an interracial poverty program.
Moved to New York City while dating my future husband, worked a year for GOOD HOUSEKEEPING MAGAZINE, got married, taught a year at N.J.'s Essex County College, daughter born end of that spring.
Moved to North Carolina, lived in Boone, taught part-time at Appalachian State, son was born, moved to a rural community south of Kernersville, N.C., taught at Greensboro College, moved to Charlotte, lived there 26 years before returning to Greensboro. Started writing fiction.
Born in Miami, Florida, attended elementary school and two years of Junior High, moved to Arlington, Virginia. Fell in love with its proximity to D.C.
Worked as a clerk-typist at the Office of Education four summers during college, spending lunch hours in D.C's National Gallery of Art and Smithsonian.
Received a B.A. in English from Emory & Henry College, lived a summer in a Mexican village, attended grad school a year, at the University of South Carolina, quit, worked as a social worker 3 years at a children's institution, returned to grad school, earned two degrees in English Lit, taught GED part-time at an interracial poverty program.
Moved to New York City while dating my future husband, worked a year for GOOD HOUSEKEEPING MAGAZINE, got married, taught a year at N.J.'s Essex County College, daughter born end of that spring.
Moved to North Carolina, lived in Boone, taught part-time at Appalachian State, son was born, moved to a rural community south of Kernersville, N.C., taught at Greensboro College, moved to Charlotte, lived there 26 years before returning to Greensboro. Started writing fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 25, 2010
50 pages in and I'm likin' this. I like the writing style. I am enjoying the travels through Charlotte. Recognize some places. Love it when that happens. Interesting plot! Carry on.....
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I thought it was very well written. The story is about a woman who becomes a widow after her husband is shot in a drugstore. The prosecuting attorney assures Maggie the trial will be a slamdunk but when the defense attorney turns out to be a controversial blast from her past, Maggie is not so sure. Especially when she starts to learn some disturbing things about Richard’s tour in Vietnam during the war. The author does flip back and forth between the present and the past, but she does it in a way so the reader is not unsure. The main character, Maggie, is complex. She was actually a anti-war demonstrator back in the sixties. She was in love with another demonstrator who disappeared after an event in D.C. The lack of “closure” in this relationship seemed to effect her for years. Maggie is not a character that you immediately feel compassion for. She makes her own mistakes. But her life is extremely interesting and I was compelled to understand what drove her. I was very intrigued about the references to the Vietnam War. I haven’t read many books about it and I found it very interesting. It was neat reading about local places when the storyline took the plot through the local Charlotte area. I also liked the fact the author recognized our local Novello and Charlotte Mecklenburg library system in her acknowledgement at the end. I wish there were more books to read by this author, I would definitely be interested in reading something by Herin again.
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I thought it was very well written. The story is about a woman who becomes a widow after her husband is shot in a drugstore. The prosecuting attorney assures Maggie the trial will be a slamdunk but when the defense attorney turns out to be a controversial blast from her past, Maggie is not so sure. Especially when she starts to learn some disturbing things about Richard’s tour in Vietnam during the war. The author does flip back and forth between the present and the past, but she does it in a way so the reader is not unsure. The main character, Maggie, is complex. She was actually a anti-war demonstrator back in the sixties. She was in love with another demonstrator who disappeared after an event in D.C. The lack of “closure” in this relationship seemed to effect her for years. Maggie is not a character that you immediately feel compassion for. She makes her own mistakes. But her life is extremely interesting and I was compelled to understand what drove her. I was very intrigued about the references to the Vietnam War. I haven’t read many books about it and I found it very interesting. It was neat reading about local places when the storyline took the plot through the local Charlotte area. I also liked the fact the author recognized our local Novello and Charlotte Mecklenburg library system in her acknowledgement at the end. I wish there were more books to read by this author, I would definitely be interested in reading something by Herin again.
June 25, 2011
ABSOLUTION is absolutely wonderful. The story involves a woman, Maggie Delaney, whose husband is shot in a botched robbery/confrontation in a drug store. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that this incident is much more complicated than it first seems. To get to the bottom of it, Maggie must revisit her own past as an anti-war war protestor and her husband's experience in Vietnam. The author does a masterful job of slowly revealing key details, with suspense and surprising twists along the way. I recommend this to readers as a great story, and to writers as an example of a brilliantly structured novel.
January 14, 2012
Absolution is the best baby boomer book I've read in a long time. Miriam Herin has captured the internal turmoil our generation went through during the Vietnam war era and still live with all these years later.
The novel opens with the killing of Richard Delaney by Anh Dung “Billy” Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant, in what appears to be a botched robbery of a drug store. There is no question about Billy's identity. The case is turned over to Adam Borstein, an assistant district attorney. The prosecution seems straight forward until Ev Quincy, a high profile defense attorney, is brought in.
Maggie Delaney, Richard's wife, learns there are some facts about the killing that don't seem right, especially given what she knew about her husband. She starts her own investigation into Richard's experience in Vietnam. A great deal of the story takes place in flashbacks to the war and protests against the war. There is an especially moving and graphic description of a short time Maggie spent in prison after participating in one of the protests. Maggie and Richard had an unusual marriage because their political beliefs, especially concerning the war, were extreme opposites. Richard was a lieutenant in the special forces while Maggie was active in the anti-war movement.
Herin's picture of the sexual revolution is an accurate telling of what was considered personal empowerment at the time. In one scene Maggie walks into her apartment to find a man who, against her wishes, has been crashing at her place. The man and a woman she's never met before are in her living room. They are naked and have obviously just had sex. The smell of pot is throughout her home. Yet there was also a beautiful scene of Maggie's own first experience.
I was in college from 1968 through 1972, which was the height of the war protests. I opposed the war and still feel that was the right decision. But I based that decision on a limited amount of knowledge. I didn't even know who the Montagnards were until years later. This book was thoroughly researched and presents a complete picture of what was happening at that time. It also presents a good perspective on war in general. It's available in Kindle format for $.99.
The novel opens with the killing of Richard Delaney by Anh Dung “Billy” Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant, in what appears to be a botched robbery of a drug store. There is no question about Billy's identity. The case is turned over to Adam Borstein, an assistant district attorney. The prosecution seems straight forward until Ev Quincy, a high profile defense attorney, is brought in.
Maggie Delaney, Richard's wife, learns there are some facts about the killing that don't seem right, especially given what she knew about her husband. She starts her own investigation into Richard's experience in Vietnam. A great deal of the story takes place in flashbacks to the war and protests against the war. There is an especially moving and graphic description of a short time Maggie spent in prison after participating in one of the protests. Maggie and Richard had an unusual marriage because their political beliefs, especially concerning the war, were extreme opposites. Richard was a lieutenant in the special forces while Maggie was active in the anti-war movement.
Herin's picture of the sexual revolution is an accurate telling of what was considered personal empowerment at the time. In one scene Maggie walks into her apartment to find a man who, against her wishes, has been crashing at her place. The man and a woman she's never met before are in her living room. They are naked and have obviously just had sex. The smell of pot is throughout her home. Yet there was also a beautiful scene of Maggie's own first experience.
I was in college from 1968 through 1972, which was the height of the war protests. I opposed the war and still feel that was the right decision. But I based that decision on a limited amount of knowledge. I didn't even know who the Montagnards were until years later. This book was thoroughly researched and presents a complete picture of what was happening at that time. It also presents a good perspective on war in general. It's available in Kindle format for $.99.
December 31, 2013
I know Miriam Herrin, and am delighted to say I could not stop reading this book! It's a compelling story and all aspects--from the Boston courtroom scenes to the events that take place in the jungles of Vietnam--are well researched and richly portrayed.
July 4, 2013
Pretty exciting to read a novel written by an old college mate! She totally captures life in the Vietnam era! A really good read!
September 20, 2019
Worth the read
Good book, sad story. The characters were well written, real and convincing. Some I liked some i did not, same as real life. The mystery unravels slowly, but quick enough to keep the story going.
Good book, sad story. The characters were well written, real and convincing. Some I liked some i did not, same as real life. The mystery unravels slowly, but quick enough to keep the story going.
December 27, 2009
Another book for a book club, this one is for a Southern literature club. I do not readily see the Southern background, except Maggie is from North Carolina. The story revolves around the accidental killing of Richard Delaney, in a drugstore, 30 years after the war in Viet Nam. In the course of the trial of the Vietnamese boy who killed Richard, the story flashbacks to the era of the 1960's. The story is very compelling with much treachery, loyality, and bravery. Many of the events I did not like. A story well told contains both the good and the bad, and this story has many of each element.
January 11, 2010
Overall this book was an enjoyable read. It seemed a little slow in the beginning but I'm not sure if that was just a result of my not having much time to devote to reading it or because the beginning left me with a feeling of not knowing what was going on. The storyline became very clear soon enough and I was easily able to get into the book then. Despite the fact that my fondness for the main character diminished slightly as details were revealed, I do not feel that the time I devoted to this book was time wasted.
December 23, 2010
I thought this was a nicely written exploration of how guilt shapes people's lives - short and long term. And the writing was well done
February 13, 2012
wAR IS hELL even when it is finished. 2 people who are married do not talk about the war and things that happened during the War. Flashbacks happen many years after the War.
January 26, 2013
Thought provoking and a good book.
August 28, 2016
Story of a man's murder and his wife's efforts to determine what happened 30 years prior. Laborious at parts.
Want to read
July 26, 2016Kindle free!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews