The place of reconciliation in processes of conflict transformation is a deeply contested political issue. Reconciliation has played differing strategic roles in a variety of conflictual contexts. In some instances, such as Northern Ireland in the 1990s, the demands of reconciliation and the pursuit of truth seemed a step too far in the process of reducing political violence. In others, such as South Africa, it was a pivotal part of the transformative dynamic offering hope for a more unified post-apartheid settlement. Meanwhile in contemporary Australia, the idea of reconciliation continues to provide a rhetorical framing for the renegotiation of indigenous politics. This paper analyses these differing approaches to and uses of reconciliation and contends that they are underpinned by political narratives which invoke emotions of fear, hope and disappointment. This suggests that understanding these sentiments is fundamental to addressing the temporal challenges of the politics of reconciliation and the structural–agential dynamics of conflict transformation.