The Dearly Beloved

I am incredibly excited to recommend this debut novel that tells the story of two couples—Charles and Lily, James and Nan—who meet in 1960s Greenwich Village when James and Charles both begin a joint ministry at the historic Third Presbyterian Church. In a way, this book reminds me of my favorite novel, Wallace Stegner’s “Crossing to Safety”, in that it follows two couples, and religion (or lack thereof) is center stage. The richly drawn characters, the twists and turns, are so touching and intriguing that you’ll be all in from the very start. I was floored to realize that one of the main settings is the nursery school my children went to in New York. Even without that coincidence, I will be recommending “The Dearly Beloved” from late summer deep into the fall. It’s so satisfying when a new author produces something of such depth and abundance.