The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

The Great Believers tells the story of how the AIDS epidemic decimated the gay community in Chicago in the 1980s. The book actually features three parallel stories. The main characters are Yale, a young gay man who is watching his friends die one by one and worrying about his own future, and Fiona, the younger sister of Yale's friend Nicco, who dies early in the story. The second story line features Nora, an elderly woman in Wisconsin. Yale works for an art galley and is trying to acquire the possibly very valuable collection of sketches and artwork Nora acquired while living in Paris decades earlier. The last storyline is set in 2015 and involves Fiona trying to track down her estranged daughter, Claire.

I thought the most compelling story was Yale's as he dealt with the devastating impact of AIDS on his circle of friends and acquaintances. (I especially loved the character of Dr. Cheng, who so compassionately treats his desperate AIDS patients.) I felt there was a little too much time spent on Nora's story, though it did introduce the pivotal character of Roman, Yale's intern at the gallery. And the Fiona/Claire story was a little slow, though the final chapters of that saga will bring a tear to your eye.

I wish they had edited down some of the plot lines, but I would still highly recommend this book. It makes you appreciate the gifts that time, good health, and true friends are.