Crossroads

On December 23, 1971, a suburban Chicago family reaches a profound moral breaking point during an impending severe winter storm. Associate pastor Russ Hildebrandt contemplates escaping his unhappy marriage while his wife Marion harbors her own secretive past. Their children navigate contrasting paths of generational rebellion, including moral absolutism, counterculture involvement, and illicit activities. The narrative explores the complex web of family dynamics and personal crises against a backdrop of shifting American culture.

by Jonathan Franzen

Farrar, Straus and Giroux · First published 2021 · 592 pages