Acts of Forgiveness

“In Acts of Forgiveness, Maura Cheeks extends humanity, depth, hope, and complexity to a part of the American experience that too often gets flattened into talking points. This book is a testament to the power of great fiction to lead us to a better understanding of the truth. A generous and empathetic study of burden and inheritance, consequence and regret, this book and its characters are going to live with me for a long time.”—R. Eric Thomas, bestselling author of Congratulations, the Best Is Over!   “Acts of Forgiveness is a striking debut that asks pressing and urgent questions about reckoning with this nation’s history. Yet, what it offers by way of answers is incredibly moving. Cheek’s ability to render a painful past, an unfixed present and a hopeful future through the Revel's hopes and fears is astonishing. This novel grips with intellect and heart.”—Cleyvis Natera, author of Neruda on the Park “Acts of Forgiveness is the rare novel that lays out a hypothetical public policy and its attendant bureaucracy, weaving a story about family with an imaginative yet realistic exploration of what reparations might look like—what might be missed and what might be achieved. But above all it is a story about family, with all the challenge, ambiguity, interconnection, obligation, and love the term carries. A generous, thoughtful, and thought-provoking novel about inheritance in all its forms.”—Lydia Kiesling, author of The Golden State