by Alison Lurie
First published 1991
Roger Zimmern and Tom McMann are sociology professors who decide to investigate a small religious sect for their academic research. What begins as a straightforward scholarly project quickly spirals out of control as the two men become increasingly entangled with the cult members and their beliefs. The study that was supposed to advance their careers instead threatens to destroy everything they have worked for. As the situation deteriorates, both professors find their professional reputations, personal relationships, and sense of reality under assault. Their attempt to maintain scientific objectivity crumbles as they confront the unexpected power of faith and the dangerous allure of belief systems they never took seriously. The comedy emerges from their growing desperation as two rational academics discover that studying human behavior is far messier than observing it from a safe academic distance.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, academic
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
288 pages · Paperback · Avon Books