Over the weekend I read The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai. This book was recommended and loaned to me by a lovely human in a book group I am part of. I have had it for way too long, and wanted to get through it so that whenever my book group is free to meet again I can return it!
This novel jumps between 1980s Chicago and 2015 Paris. The 1980s Chicago is focused on the AIDS epidemic and the significantly tragic impact it had on the LGBTQ community. Fiona’s brother and all of of his friends are slowly dying. Flash forward to 2015, and Fiona is in Paris trying to track down her daughter who she has not spoken to in many years.
This book started slow, but once it picked up, it became difficult for me to put down! The book is truly heartbreaking, but also allows you to glimpse into these eras (1920s Paris, 1980s Chicago, 2015 Paris) that are all connected through Fiona’s family. This book is also a National Book Award Finalist and received a Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, which is certainly well-deserved.
theworldishersforthereading 