First published 2021
Senator Adam Sunraider lies dying when he calls for Reverend A. Z. Hickman, the black minister who once rescued his life. Hickman comes to hear what might be Sunraider's last confession, though decades of pain stretch between them. Long ago, Hickman had taken in a white orphan named Bliss and raised him within his congregation. The boy grew up hearing gospel music and sermons, even playing Lazarus in revival shows where he would emerge from a coffin to move believers. Hickman taught Bliss how to preach, and the black community welcomed the child as family. But during his journey from preacher boy to politician, Bliss transformed into Adam Sunraider and gained influence by abandoning his past. He turned away from Hickman, his congregation, and all they had offered him. As death draws near, both men confront the damage Sunraider's rejection left behind.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, african-american, biographical-fiction
Vibes: intimate, introspective, melancholic, morally-complex, thought-provoking
Tropes: betrayal-and-estrangement, deathbed-confession, found-family, past-catching-up
Period: Decades Earlier
400 pages · Paperback · Vintage
Content warnings: racism