A Thousand Pardons

Set among the Armsteads, a once privileged and loving couple at a breaking point, Jonathan Dee's novel turns on self-invention and public scandal. Ben, a partner at a prestigious law firm, has grown unpredictable at work and withdrawn at home, a change that weighs on Helen, his wife, and Sara, their preteen daughter. One afternoon his recklessness takes an alarming turn and what the family built comes apart. Helen takes a public relations job, moves with Sara from upstate New York to a Manhattan apartment, and finds she can get arrogant men to admit their mistakes. Forgiveness proves easier to win for clients than at home. Kirkus Reviews named the 2013 novel one of the year's best books.

Malcolm Gladwell called it his favorite book of the summer so far, in a post on Twitter.