The Hour I First Believed: A Novel (P.S.) by Wally Lamb is the American novel of this decade. It grapples with the real events of Columbine, Katrina, 9/11, the war in the Middle East, and other personal tragedies such as alcoholism, drug addiction, divorce, affairs. In other words, it’s an epic novel of grief. It explores the sins of the father and mother and their effects on generations to come.

But it isn’t distant in its encompassing endeavor. All of these events come through the eyes of Caelum, a man who is victim, monster, and victor. He and his wife survived Columbine and attempt to put their lives back together in the aftermath. In the tragedies of our day, Caelum finds guidance in the myths of old.

Lamb explores questions such as: What do we do with grief? What is the difference between justice and vengeance and how does grace and redemption fit in? On what do we base/find hope? How do we heal when the contents of Pandora’s open box wreak havoc in our world? Where does the monster begin and the victim end?

This is a hard book to read, but it’s one I highly recommend.