{"product_id":"the-half-life-rachel-beanland","title":"The Half Life by Rachel Beanland – Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Half Life by Rachel Beanland\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the acclaimed author of The House Is on Fire and Florence Adler Swims Forever comes an atmospheric historical novel about love, loyalty, marriage, and one woman's awakening on a sun-drenched Italian island during the Atomic Age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt twenty-three, Eileen O'Malley falls hard and fast for charismatic naval officer Paul Archer. Before long, she's married and following him across the Atlantic to La Maddalena, a tiny Mediterranean island off the coast of Sardinia, where Paul has been assigned to oversee Radiological Controls aboard a U.S. Navy submarine tender.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEileen joins a close-knit community of Navy wives determined to make their unfamiliar surroundings feel like home. But as she learns Italian, embraces island life, and grows closer to the local community, she begins to question the life—and the expectations—she has always accepted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTensions rise when Italian activists and scientists raise concerns about possible nuclear contamination surrounding the American naval presence. Protests erupt, secrets begin to surface, and Eileen finds herself caught between her husband, her country, and the people of the island she has come to love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs her marriage begins to fracture, Eileen is drawn toward a local journalist who challenges her to imagine a completely different future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAtmospheric, romantic, and thought-provoking, The Half Life is a sweeping story of self-discovery, complicated loyalties, and the courage it takes to decide what kind of life you truly want.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBOOK DETAILS\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTitle: The Half Life\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Rachel Beanland\u003cbr\u003eFormat: Hardcover\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Simon \u0026amp; Schuster\u003cbr\u003ePublication Date: July 14, 2026\u003cbr\u003ePages: 480\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9781668069134\u003cbr\u003eLanguage: English\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Historical Fiction \/ Women's Fiction \/ Literary Fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePERFECT FOR READERS WHO LOVE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Historical fiction\u003cbr\u003e• Women's fiction\u003cbr\u003e• Italian and Mediterranean settings\u003cbr\u003e• 1970s historical fiction\u003cbr\u003e• Complicated marriages\u003cbr\u003e• Stories of self-discovery\u003cbr\u003e• Military and Navy history\u003cbr\u003e• Strong female protagonists\u003cbr\u003e• Romance woven into historical fiction\u003cbr\u003e• Book club fiction\u003cbr\u003e• The Women by Kristin Hannah\u003cbr\u003e• Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter\u003cbr\u003e• Atmospheric summer reads\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49987640230037,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0722\/1769\/0261\/files\/the-half-life-rachel-beanland-hardcover.png?v=1790299786","url":"https:\/\/theperkcards.com\/products\/the-half-life-rachel-beanland","provider":"The Perk","version":"1.0","type":"link"}