Rebecca Makkai’s The Great Believers (Viking, $27) travels through the years, merging past and present with two narratives, one about the AIDS crisis in Chicago in the 1980s, the other about a mother searching for her daughter in Paris in 2015. The stories are connected by subplots, characters, and themes, all propelled by Makkai’s riveting narration. Chicago was hit heavily by AIDS, and yet there are few books written about the city in that time of crisis. Makkai went the extra mile with research and in-person interviews for the novel, and her dedication shows in the intricate and skillful way she chronicles the epidemic from its beginnings until almost the present day. Get this incredible novel for someone who will savor commitment to reading a layered and rich book. This novel is an immersive education, both in history and in storytelling.
