Rebecca Makkai's The Great Believers (2018) explores the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. The novel follows a man named Yale Tishman, who works at an art gallery and is on the cusp of bringing a collection of extraordinary 1920s paintings and drawings into the gallery. However, at the same time, AIDS starts to effect everyone in his life -- friends and family included. He develops a close bond with Fiona, the sister of one of his friends, who also feels the effects of the AIDS crisis all around her. Thirty years later, the novel explores how Fiona has dealt with the trauma of her youth and how it has affected her troubled relationship with her daughter.
Many love Makkai's book. When it was released, it received critical acclaim. Users on Amazon gave the book a spectacular rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Users on Goodreads rated the book 4.24 out of 5 stars. Michael Cunningham of the New York Times wrote: "Rebecca Makkai’s The Great Believers is a page turner… among the first novels to chronicle the AIDS epidemic from its initial outbreak to the present…An absorbing and emotionally riveting story about what it’s like to live during times of crisis.” The novel was also nominated for several awards, including the National Book Awards, Carnegie Medal, and perhaps most importantly, the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Amy Poehler has optioned The Great Believers to be made into a TV series. No release has thus far been announced.
