The Half Life is Rachel Beanland’s latest novel, and it’s her best, hands down. My thanks go to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the invitation to read and review. This book is available to the public now.

Our story takes place in the 1960s and ‘70s. Eileen Archer is a young bride; her husband Paul is an officer in the U.S. Navy. Immediately following their wedding, they are transported to La Maddalena, an island in Italy where American nuclear subs are kept and serviced. La Maddalena is a beautiful place, and they settle in quickly. The Naval wives organize to support each other with acclimation and in coping with their spouse’s extended absences.

But the island’s full-time residents are not happy hosts. The Navy isn’t sharing readings regarding nuclear waste that spills into the island’s water, and the testing is too costly to be done independently on the same timeline as what the U.S. government can do. And although the wives are advised to steer clear of the protests that occur with increasing frequency, Eileen is curious. She learns Italian, does some digging, and is perplexed as to why this information isn’t shared. Surely the islanders have a right to know, and since the Navy says the readouts show that their practices are safe, why not just give them the information?

Once she begins conversing with an Italian journalist, a greater problem presents itself. She’s falling for him, and she’s falling hard!

Beanland is formidably talented at developing her characters, and Eileen becomes nearly corporeal for me by the conclusion of this mesmerizing story. In addition, her research is first rate, both in terms of La Maddelena, where she lived for a time, and in terms of U.S. culture and the way that women were treated and expected to behave during this period. She never resorts to cheap, pop cultural references, always preferring to dig deeper, and it enhances the quality of this story. Readers are advised not to skip her notes at the end.

Because I was running late, I checked out the audio version from Seattle Bibliocommons and used it to supplement my reading. Reader Andi Arndt is pitch perfect and makes my reading experience even better.

Highly recommended to those that enjoy excellent historical fiction.