The Great Believers

Book Review

The Great Believers is a moving and tragic story about characters who are undergoing or have been affected by the AIDS crisis in Chicago. It makes AIDS feel even more real and devastating, as it ravages through the tight-knit communities and friendships of the characters in this story. The book follows the storylines of two main characters who are connected through friendship; one tells a story of the "past" in Chicago (late 1980s), and the other tells a story of the "future" in Paris (2010s). I was much more drawn to the past storyline over the future storyline, but I understand how including both makes this book stronger. The author does a good job keeping her readers guessing...I did not anticipate the ending to be what it was, and it made me all the sadder for it. And towards the end, I did shed a tear or two (which I almost never do when I read books!). I felt very invested in these characters and particularly in the character of Yale, and I would bump my review up to 5 stars if I were just as invested in the character of Fiona.