The History of Living Forever

Jake Wolff’s debut novel works two timelines at once. The present-day plot follows Conrad, a sixteen year old whose chemistry teacher dies suddenly, leaving behind notebooks full of research into the elixir of life. The notebooks pull Conrad backward through history, into the lives of various men across centuries who tried to crack the same problem.

It’s an unusual book. Part coming of age, part science history, part meditation on grief.

Wolff has a research background, and the alchemy and chemistry sections feel like they were written by someone who actually understood them rather than someone reading Wikipedia.

The pacing is uneven. Some of the historical chapters drag. But the central relationship between Conrad and his teacher is handled with restraint, and the ending earns its quiet.