First published 2021
Russ Hildebrandt stands at the pulpit of his liberal suburban Chicago church, but his mind wanders to escape. The associate pastor contemplates leaving his joyless marriage to Marion, unaware that his wife harbors her own secrets and exit plans. December 23, 1971 brings heavy weather and heavier family tensions. Their college son Clem returns home burning with moral fervor after taking an action that will devastate his father. Daughter Becky has abandoned her high school popularity for counterculture rebellion. Youngest son Perry deals drugs to middle schoolers while wrestling with his conscience about becoming better. Each Hildebrandt family member reaches for personal freedom, but their individual desires threaten to destroy what the others need most. Franzen sets this family drama against the backdrop of early 1970s America, capturing a pivotal moment when traditional values collided with social upheaval. The novel unfolds primarily during one winter day, building suspense through multiple perspectives as each character faces moral choices that will reshape their relationships forever.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, moral-dilemma
Setting: Chicago, Suburban
Period: 1971
592 pages · Hardcover · Farrar, Straus and Giroux