The Half-Life of Secrets (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781963209723)

Note: This book was previously sold under the title: Quiet Sins.

... "There are things about the book that remind me of Margaret Edson's amazing play WIT, about a college professor dying of ovarian cancer (it was made into a film for HBO with Emma Thopson); there's something of the same stoicism and grim humor in Childhouse's Olivia." Judge's commentary from Writer's Digest

"This thought-provoking story of a woman reviewing her life as she faces her last days is a riveting page-turner that never fails to surprise. Quiet Sins will make you laugh, cry and empathize with one of the most unusual heroines to come along in years." -Elaine Partnow,

Olivia is dying of leukemia. Nothing can be done but to slow it down and make her comfortable - so says her oncologist son. At one point he suggest that the dying body loses its senses one at a time. Taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing are all lost until there is nothing left but raw consciousness, then oblivion. Despite this grim outlook, Olivia displays both humor and insight as she comes to understand that there may be things more difficult than confronting one's own mortality.

She reflects on her life through the prism of each of theses five senses, each one evoking a collection of memories, and one associated with a death. Some memories are deeply painful, others more nuanced. This period of contemplation culminates in an unforseen revelation that changes her perspective on life and justice. In the end, a certain equilibrium has been achieved, so that the quiet sins that have been committed become more balanced.