User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
A tremendously well done first novel. Two couples whose lives will become entwined for better and worse. Charles, whose faith in God is all inclusive and Lily his wife who after the loss of her parents, no longer believes. Jan, a pastors daughter, whose faith is the mainstay of her life, and her husband James, who wants to change things, so becomes a pastor for this purpose. One church, two pastors.
This is not a subject I'm usually drawn to, liturgical matters and this is a subject that is front and center. It is the struggles of these four very different people that for me was the draw, characters that one finds real and honest. How they change with the very real trials and tribulations of life. Marriage, Parenthood, community needs, pastoral services, friendship and adjustments. The character I had the hardest time accepting, Lily, would prove to be the strongest and by books end one I greatly admired.
Their are moments of joy, moments of sadness. The writing is mature, the subject matter including autism, ones faith, doubt and hopes are all gently explored. In fact that is the feel of this book, a gentleness in the portrayal of flawed individuals who learn through time to make the many adjustments life often asks of us.
ARC from Simon and Schuster.
Rating: really liked it
This one sneaks up on you with its gorgeous, contemplative story which grabs hold of your mind and your heart. Wow, how I loved this!
"Love is the enjoyment of something. The feeling of wanting something deeply, of wanting nothing more. Our love of God is not as important as our faith in God. Love wanes. Faith cannot. One can have faith and anger, faith and hate. One can believe deeply and still rail against God, still blame God. In fact, if one can hate God it is a sign of deep faith because you cannot hate and at the same time doubt God's existence."
James and Charles meet in 1963 when they are both interviewing to become the minister of an historic church in Greenwich Village. They couldn’t be more opposite from one another—Charles views his call as one to guide his congregation, to support them and help them understand events of the world, while James views his as a call to action, that God is served by changing the world.
The two are hired as co-ministers, which seems to suit them fine, and they become immensely close. The same cannot be said of their wives. James’ wife, Nan, a minister’s daughter, understands the role of the church in their lives, while Lily, Charles’ wife, has a definitive lack of faith shaped by a childhood tragedy that causes her to withdraw, even resent at times, the life her husband has been called to. Nan immerses herself in the church, Lily wants as far away from it as possible.
The Dearly Beloved follows the four through decades of friendship, love, loyalty, resentment, jealousy, and of course, faith. The challenges of the world, the tragedies and triumphs of their own lives will test and reaffirm their faith through the years.
This book was simply amazing. I cannot believe that this is Wall’s debut novel. It’s not a book that requires any knowledge of religion or faith—it’s more an exploration of how faith means different things to different people, and how it appears and disappears at different times in our lives.
James and Charles are the easier characters to embrace. I found Nan and Lily difficult to like for a while, until I understood their place in the story and realized the complexities Wall bestowed upon her characters.
I honestly think this is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s one of those that feels like the "great American novel," just a triumph of storytelling. That's something I don’t find too often these days.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
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Rating: really liked it
This novel tackles several questions that engage me. What possesses someone to be called to the ministry? Can a couple with opposite beliefs find happiness?
We meet Charles and Lily, James and Nan, two ministers and their wives. We are provided their backgrounds so that we get a true sense of what has molded them into the people they are. They’re not at all similar, which makes it even more interesting as they work to find ways to work together. It’s a book about relationships- between spouses, families, co-workers. It’s about what we share with others and how much of us they can really understand.
The writing here is so lush, it is meant to be savored. It seems so polished it’s hard to realize this is a debut novel. It’s got to be really hard to write about religion and why/how people believe and make the reader understand. Wall does it. Now, I consider myself religious and this book really resonated with me. I loved the points made about faith vs. love, about what faith provided to those that believed, about how we are tested and how our faith holds up (or doesn’t).
Because I had recommended this for my church’s book club, I found two interviews with Wall. She states that the book is about faith, not religion, and the work it takes to become empathetic. “It’s more a raw, honest examination of the way we overcome our differences… We talk a lot about empathy...without really talking about how hard that is - and how worth it it is. You can accept someone without diminishing yourself. It’s not a sacrifice to accept somebody else.”
I’m also so glad the book was written in an omniscient point of view so that we know exactly what each of the characters is thinking. It would never have worked to have their beliefs filtered through another character’s perceptions.
I’d be willing to bet that each reader will have a favorite character. Mine was Charles. I loved his faith, his hope, his charity. I felt his pain and loved the lessons he learned.
Ok, guess I’ve gushed enough. You can certainly see how much I loved this book. Another of my favorite books of 2019.
Rating: really liked it
"He...loved them not with the automatic love of childhood or the easy love of coincidence, but with the tautly stitched love of people who have faced uncertainty together..."3.75 stars
The Dearly Beloved is a character study about friendship, family, and faith.Charles and Lily. James and Nan. 2 couples brought together through the ministry of the Third Presbyterian Church in NYC in the 1960s. Their journey to the church, and with one another, has its ups and downs, but in the end, they are united by love.
The book’s main theme focuses on faith: Finding faith, lacking faith, and losing one’s faith. It does not focus on religion much, rather the focus is on faith and believing in a higher power. The narrative is not preachy, but it does have a strong message about faith and love.The narrative begins in the 1950s. Chapters alternate between all four characters. Each character has a distinctive voice and a different relationship with faith and God. Charles finds God while in college. James continuously grapples with his faith and belief in God but finds his way to the Church intending to help others. Nan has an unwavering belief in God, while Lily is a non-believer. Of all the characters, I found Lily to be the most interesting and complex.
I loved the beginning, but the middle fizzled out. Towards the end, I fell back into the story.While I enjoyed Cara Wall’s writing style, the pacing is a little uneven and some events happen a little too easily. The first half of the book focuses on each character separately, then moves to when they become couples, to when they become a group.
The characters overcome a lot of struggles and have to jump over many hurdles along the way. Some of these struggles are oversimplified and glossed over. It would have helped me believe more if I could have seen the blood, sweat, tears, and rejections that come along with these endeavors vs. everything being neatly wrapped up.
However, I enjoyed seeing these characters develop, watching their relationships blossom and grow, as well as uniting during difficult times.
When I finished reading, I felt like the book was incomplete, but then I came to the realization that the story ends when the four characters are united as one. I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book in a GoodReads Giveaway!
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars
Beginning in the 1960s, one of my favorite time periods, this is a story somewhat reminiscent of Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. We follow two couples for many decades: Charles and James who co-pastor a church, and their wives, Lily and Nan.
Charles is the deep thinker, the pastor whose strength is counseling parishioners who are struggling with difficulties. James is the activist who believes his job is to stir the parishioners into action to right the world’s injustices.
Lily is the atheist wife who is non-traditional and has zero interest in being friends with Nan or becoming involved in the life of the parish. Nan is the woman of faith who is a do-gooder and is perfectly content being a traditional pastor’s wife who longs for nothing more than to be a wife and mother. These two women personify the changing role of women through the turbulent 1960s.
But what happens when life doesn’t quite work out as you expected? Life and relationships are messy. Tragedy and losses occur. This character-driven novel doesn’t offer easy solutions but thoughtfully examines the complexities of life, and how our beliefs, life experiences, and background affects the way we relate to others, and how we weather the storms of life. Who has grit, and why?
This story is beautifully written and gives the reader much to ponder. The characters are realistically complex and my feelings changed about each of them as I read.
This was a buddy read with Marialyce and is definitely one of our better discussion books. We had many thoughtful conversations and I’m so glad I had her to talk with as we read.
The last 20% was a tad too pat and predictable, thus the 4.5 stars. For a debut it was amazing and I’m looking forward to seeing what the author does next.
*i received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
* For our duo review of this book https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
Rating: really liked it
Do you believe in God? And if so, how do you envision him? Has your faith been tested?
2 ministers and their wives lives become intertwined when they both get a position ministering in the same church in NYC. We learn of individual challenges they each have had and where faith fits in or doesn’t. Their lives take a dramatic turn when a child is born very different from his twin.
This one hit home - hard. My parents were very hardcore believers. They adopted my younger brother at 6 months to complete the 4 sibling clan. When my brother started missing the milestones, a test of their faith and their marriage began.
This one gets 4.5⭐️because it was so relatable. And as much as my faith has waned, this story has given me pause and cause, to consider how it fits into my life again. Faith comes in many forms - not just the traditional ones.
Rating: really liked it
I know I’m the minority for this rating, but this book did not speak to me. I went into it with such high hopes because of the glowing reviews and I had heard from others. I did not feel connected in anyway to the 4 main characters, I thought they were all very flat. I would have not finished this but was too far into to give up.
I did not feel the premise of the novel was realistic at all. The marriage between Charles and Lilly seemed forced. I cannot believe that a man called to preach could marry an atheist...and then James not fully believing in God but joining the ministry because he felt there was more to life and he wanted to find it? I felt it just floated from year to year without any real substance.
Anyway, this book just wasn’t for me, but I am glad others have found joy from it.
Rating: really liked it
4+ stars - Well written novel that tackles issues of faith. I really enjoyed getting to know Cara Wall’s flawed characters, their struggles and redemptive qualities. Charles receives that mysterious thing known as ‘a call’ to the ministry. His father is a professor at Harvard. Charles is endowed with intellectual curiosity, perhaps due to his rearing in the world of academia, and he is also skilled with writing and research. But here, is this touch of mystery. This calling.
The atmosphere of James’s growing up years are soaked in the disappointment of his father’s addiction to alcohol. Having served in the Second World War, James’s father joins a community of men who’ve seen and experienced pain and suffering. James has a fear of ending up like his Dad. When James decides to go into the ministry, it is not because of a call. James wants to make a difference in the world; he wants to help lift people out of bad situations.
Lily is a tragic character. Her parents die when she is a teenager and grief settles into her body cell by cell. Lily is also attracted to academia, loves books, but people not so much. She doesn’t believe in God at all. Charles is persistent when it comes to wooing Lily. Can a woman who doesn’t believe in God be a minister’s wife? I used to attend church quite regularly but never knew or even heard of an unbelieving minister’s wife. As prickly as Lily’s character was, I liked getting to know her. I liked her spunk and independence and I respected how forthright she was with Charles.
Nan is the daughter of a minister, who took her with him to visit the sick at hospital and home. Nan has been groomed for the role of minister’s wife, but still, there are things about it for which she was never adequately prepared. Things have always come easily to Nan. When heartbreaks arrive, does she have enough in her arsenal to withstand?
This was never a preachy book, so was a big hit for me. Some days I feel like a strong person of faith, other days agnostic, and other days, even atheistic, so I appreciated the honesty of these characters. The first part of the book is a rather long introduction to the characters while the second part will bring all of them together in 1963 when Charles and James are selected to co-pastor the Third Presbyterian Church. The author has a very fluid writing style that I found satisfying and immersive. I felt there was a little something lacking with her ending, possibly a little cut short, but do not let that deter you if you have any interest in questions of faith. I am not entirely rekindled, but a match of interest and inquiry burns bright.
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars
“Because only in the quality of your struggle with one another will you learn anything about yourself.”
There are some books that make you think for a moment or two and then those thoughts run off forgotten as they become just another book read. There are some books, however, that keep you thinking and wondering for days, weeks, or even months after you have finished reading them. Such was this story.
This is a story of four people, three of which are people of faith, while one is a non believer. Charles and James are new ministers landing a position at the same church, who together with their wives Nan and Lily try to forge forward in a religious life for the three of them, and a life bereft of God for one of them. Nan is an affirmed believer in God while Lily, the product of the early tragic death of her parents, is a nonbeliever. The dilemma seems to be how can one reconcile being married to a minister when you do not believe in what he does? There is a large amount of interplay between the characters and as the story continues the tragedies of life invade the marriages and one would think a faith in the almighty would be enough to carry one through. But is it?
This story had currents swirling beneath the surface of its words. So many themes were touched upon and the reader was left to understand and find their own explanation of events and happenings. So many questions were asked of the reader. Can one be married to someone who doesn't share your religious belief. Is God the only way to peace in life? Is it possible to be too good, to mask your feelings in an attempt to please God? Is tragedy in life a way that God shows you a way through it, or is it the human spirit, often resilient that offers one peace and a way forward? Can marriage work when up against adversity? What really attracts one person to another even though they are as different as night and day?
This was a wonderful book that had great components and would be absolutely perfect for a book club discussion group. There was much to fathom here, and much to ponder as you read about the journey these two couples embarked upon as they tried to both understand their position in the world and the way forward in life. I definitely recommend this story for all the aforementioned reasons.
Thank you to Cara Wall, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for a copy of this book.
A book that sparks talk and makes people want to discuss all its points and nuances, is one that is a trip to the world of reading and loving what an author's words can do to a story. In this book, Jan and I had quite a few talks that led to other talks, and then to more of the same. We both came away pretty much in awe of the feelings that this book evoked in the both of us.
To see our duo reviews: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
Rating: really liked it
The way people described this as beautiful and character driven, I was almost sure it wouldn't be for me. That I would find it a slog, and be bored. But instead, I find myself bereft at it being over. I'd describe this as glimpses of love and life and friendship and God. The writing is amazing and I took photos of multiple passages. The people are real and flawed and phenomenal. So, instead of an unpopular opinion, like I thought I would have, I'm joining my voice with the chorus. James and Nan and Lily and Charles will stay with me, for a long time.
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars A great book to kick start my 2020 book challenge. This book was wonderful in that it creeps into your thoughts as you get to know the characters better, it would be easy to dismiss this book due to it’s themes of god and religion but that was the power of this book, the different perspectives and the humanity of the characters making for a real and thought provoking read. The fact that these characters end up being bound together with all their personal differences individually grappling with ideas of belief and faith all while navigating the complexities of everyday life’s challenges and obstacles made for an unique and interesting read.
Rating: really liked it
Wall's debut novel follows the story of two pastors and their wives - how they meet, how their 'calling' to preach comes about, and how they work together to serve their church community. I liked the premise of two very different men joining together in faith to support their wives and their churchgoers. However, this novel fell really flat for me. It seemed like there were way too many conversations about believing in God and not believing in God. Instead of an interesting dissection of faith and religion, it felt like the same prose repeated over and over. I also felt like the setting of the novel (1960's New York) could have lent itself to way more action in the plot - the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War are only sort of mentioned in passing. Finally, I feel like the focus of the novel should have been shifted to cover more of the pastors adult years (less on their college years and early adulthood). The relationship and family struggles of these men were the most interesting to me, and just when this was getting explored, the novel ended. I feel like Wall has a gorgeous style of writing, but I wished for a plot with more remarkable events or turns in the story to keep things interesting.
Rating: really liked it
This is a stunning debut novel taking place in the 1950s and 1960s featuring Charles, who has a steadfast belief in God; his wife Lily, resolute in her non-belief; James, who joins the ministry to do worldly good; and his wife Nan, devout and sweet. Their lives become entangled when Charles and James are hired as co-pastors at a New York City Presbyterian church, and over the years struggle through faith and beliefs, and marriage and friendship conflicts.
I don’t often gravitate towards books with religious themes, but the author's writing was so engaging, and she was so fair in presenting both sides without judgment or bias toward any belief system that I didn't want to stop reading about these people and their church families. It also had a satisfying epilogue. And yes, a few tissues were needed to get through the last few chapters. This fabulous novel is an easy choice for my best books of 2019 list.
This is a perfect selection for book groups as there is something for everyone to love with much fodder for discussion. It is very reminiscent of Wallace Stegner’s "Crossing to Safety" and also reminded me of Susanna Daniel’s "Stiltsville," both excellent portrayals of long marriages. I would also recommend this to fans of Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout.
4-9-19 - Updated information: I just found the original letter sent by the publisher that states Cara Wall spent more than 15 years writing this book and based it on 1st Presbyterian church in NYC, of which she is a long-time member.
Thanks to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for the early galley copy (publication date August 2019).
Rating: really liked it
I listened to the Audible production of “Dearly Beloved” narrated by Kathy Keane. I enjoyed every second listening to this story. Keane’s range of character voices adds to the story, which is important since there are four main characters, each with their own personalities and thereby voice inflections. The narrator makes all the difference in audio productions.
“Dearly Beloved” is a story of love, marriage, friendship, and connections. Author Cara Wall begins her story introducing the main characters individually, before anyone met. She starts off with the couples: There is Charles and then Lily; James and Nan. Charles is the only child of an academic who becomes interested in God after a University course entitled “Martyrs and Their Murderers”. He becomes steadfastly in love with Lily whom he meets in the Library. At the tender age of 15, Lily lost both her parents in a tragic car accident. This event defines Lily who is determined to never love or need a person. Both are intellectual, and Lily finally agrees to marry Charles if he understands she will always be agnostic, and she may never truly love him. Charles agrees, as long as she allows his faith. It is here that author Wall shines, as her interest is developing characters who find each other and commit to marriage despite their differences.
James comes from a poor Irish family with an alcoholic father. James has a wealthy uncle who financially helps James out of his squalor and pays for James’ college education. Because of this opportunity, James is a serious student giving little time for fun in school. After his uncle counsels James that college is more than academia, James notices Nan at a music recital. Nan is a daughter of a wealthy family from Mississippi. Nan has been pampered all her life and because of this, she has an abundance of love to give. James is “called” to the ministry with the help, love, and guidance of Nan.
The two couple meet when there is a Parish opening in Greenwich, NY. This is where Wall lost me, in that the Parish hires both men because they have differing qualities that the Parish needs. Perhaps there are many cash wealthy Parish’s in Wall’s life that could support two Ministers. I found that highly unlikely. But if one allows this, the story works.
Wall explores the differing marriages, but also friendship and devotion. The wives are not close but tolerate each other. The men enjoy their differences and love working together. When one of the men get into a bit of trouble with the parishioners, they band together and work it through. Family issues arise, and the women work through it differently than the men.
I enjoyed the story because it is a bit of a domestic fiction story along with friendship. Plus, I do love those stories that explore the mysteries of marriage. Apparently, it took Wall 15 years to write this wonderful story. I hope she doesn’t take that long to write another!
Rating: really liked it
"'We want,' the new search committee wrote, 'a minister with the highest academic credentials, who struggles with the incongruity of faith in the modern world. We want a minister who looks for answers in a dignified way. We are not interested in the trappings of religion, only in the deep, incisive examination of Christian principles and the way we may apply them to our lives.'" -- page 144
Two distinctly different men who have answered 'the calling' to be pastors apply for the above-mentioned position - at the Third Presbyterian Church in New York City's Greenwich Village, circa 1963 - in author Cara Wall's assured and excellent debut as a novelist. Charles and James have differing personalities, shaped by their respective backgrounds - Charles being the well-educated son of upper-class Ivy League academia, while James is a progressive-minded lad from a rough-and-tumble working class family outside of Chicago. Their faith and desire to serve is completely sincere, so they are both hired to lead the troubled church during a very transitional time in U.S. history.
However,
The Dearly Beloved is about a quartet of personalities, and the other two main and equally-important characters are wives of the men - Nan is a devout and pleasant Southern lass who seeks some excitement away from her small hometown so she marries the wily James, while serious and scholarly Lily - orphaned as a child when her folks were killed in a car crash - does not particularly adhere to organized religion but otherwise respects Charles' mind, education and job dedication.
Said characters are followed from their respective WWII-era childhoods through their college years in the early 50's and up to the experiences of Charles and James as the TPC's clergy from the mid- to late 60's. Surprisingly, the storyline does not get overloaded with nostalgia but simply focuses on said quartet as they each experience life as young working adults, with the usual but yet relatable problems that are often associated with marriage, parenthood, and/or employment. While not an innocuous or toothless book, it is refreshingly free of any gratuitous sex, violence or harsh language yet is very effective like a really involving or well-executed network-TV miniseries from the 70's or 80's. Other than some of the plot threads clicking just a little too conveniently into place in the final chapters,
The Dearly Beloved both continuously kept my interest AND made me think about and appreciate my own Christian faith. When was the last time a fictional book did the same for you?
