by David Plante
First published 2024
Ted Beauchemin discovers a photograph from his first communion while clearing out his deceased parents' belongings in Boston. The image triggers memories of his Catholic upbringing and working class roots. Back in London with his British wife, who grew up in India viewing religion as an outsider, Ted works in foreign finance but feels increasingly disconnected from his secular existence. His crisis deepens when a child he cares about dies before making first communion. Ted draws closer to the boy's mother, an American married to a Scottish aristocrat, hoping to find shared understanding. Instead he discovers their connection is hollow. His wife tries to comfort him as he becomes more obsessed with his abandoned faith, but Ted grows isolated despite her efforts. London's rhythms provide some solace as he searches for meaning beyond his corporate job. His marriage strains under the weight of his spiritual questioning.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, spiritual-crisis
Setting: Boston, London
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
208 pages · Paperback · Green City Books
Content warnings: death