Theory of Remainders - Hardcover

Scott Dominic Carpenter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 098890490X ISBN 13: 9780988904903

Publisher: Winter Goose Publishing, 2013

Synopsis

At fifty-two, psychiatrist Philip Adler is divorced, alone, and gutted of passion. When a funeral draws him back to his ex-wife's homeland of France, the trip reunites him with a trauma he has struggled to forget: the brutal death of his teenage daughter fifteen years earlier. Prodded by his former brother-in-law and stirred by the unspent embers of his marriage, he embarks on a mission to resolve lingering questions about this past, hoping to heal himself along the way. The search leads to a disturbed man who may hold more answers than anyone expects--if only Philip can hear what he's trying to say.

A suspenseful literary novel set in the lush backgrounds of Normandy, Theory of Remainders explores the secret ties between love, trauma, and language.

About this title

About the Author:

Scott Dominic Carpenter teaches French literature and critical theory at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. His fiction has appeared in a broad array of literary journals, and his collection of short stories, This Jealous Earth, came out in 2013.

Review:

Named to Kirkus Reviews' "Best Books of 2013"

A Midwest Connections "Pick" -- Midwest Independent Booksellers' Association

"A stellar achievement." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Riveting." -- Library Journal (starred review)

"It is poetry, suspense, life-changing reader revelation. Nothing I have read in the last three or four years even comes close." -- John Lehman, Rosebud Book Reviews

"The perfect summer read for thinking people." -- St. Paul Pioneer Press

"A masterful job of conjuring a complicated psychological and cultural landscape." -- Amy Goetzman, MinnPost

Named a "Bound to Please" title, and praised as "a tautly written page-turner with rich imagery and an absorbing plot." -- Reach Magazine

"A rare and wondrous novel." -- Readers' Favorite

"For anyone who values a literary novel of substantial depth in character development, language, sense of place and reader engagement, Theory of Remainders ranks as a must-read." -- Audrey Kletscher Helbling, Minnesota Prairie Roots

"Like a chess master lining up his pieces for the checkmate, Carpenter expertly places the variables of this mystery. It's an imaginative tour of the mind via language and landscape." -- Nathan Bergstedt, Grand Rapids Herald-Review

"There are no easy solutions when trauma is at the heart of the story... Theory of Remainders provides the reader with an emotionally rich portrayal of the experience of loss that looks past easy solutions and instead digs deep into human connections." -- Alison Feigh, Jacob Wetterling Resource Center

"This beautifully written psychological thriller does more than keep us on the edge of our seat. Theory of Remainders explores the nature of familial relationships--how essential they are to our humanity, and how difficult it is to survive their loss." -- Alice LaPlante, author of Turn of Mind.

About this edition

• Publisher: Winter Goose Publishing
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 098890490X
• ISBN 13: 9780988904903
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 286