The Great Believers
Updated: Sep 22, 2022
By Rebecca Makkai
Tender, really funny and devastating
Oh my goodness, this is a magnificent story. It is tragic and heartwarming and moving. It tells the story of the AIDS epidemic by bringing us into the lives and relationships of young men who faced the terror of this shocking disease as well as the survivors who coped with the aftermath.
The book honors these men and their families through a suspenseful, page-turner story that’s tender, really funny and devastating. I had the chance to hear Rebecca Makkai read a passage at St. Louis’ Left Hand Bookstore’s Book Fest in 2018 – I remember being completely caught up. I’m so grateful to have read the entire book – it brought tears to my eyes thinking of the friends I lost, and how I didn’t truly understand the terror they faced.