From the Bookshelf of La Crescent Public Library…

[close] The Great Believers was our 2022 November library book club selection. Recommended by one of our club members, the group was about 50/50 on who liked it and who didn't. To be fair though, all our members liked the writing, what they struggled with was the severity of the subject matter. They all understood the importance of the topic, but couldn't negate the sadness of the book. It is a sad read.

We had a good discussion about the book with all members sharing their thoughts. It brought up a lot of stories of what they remembered hearing on the news, what challenging politics were shifting at the time, what working in healthcare was like, etc. and many comparisons to today's similar struggles. We talked about chosen families, the importance of finding people and places where you feel seen, and about the stories we leave behind and who remembers them.

Most everyone preferred the sections set in the 80s timeline over the 2015 one, but we still discussed the character of Fiona and how parent/child relationships can be difficult when dealing with generational trauma.

Most members were interested in reading other works by Rebecca Makkai and thought she did an exceptional job of tackling the story and the AIDS epidemic, and appreciated her voice in the acknowledgments about allyship vs appropriation and seeking out firsthand accounts from those who lived it and lost loved ones.