Julia Glass

Past actions, memories and secrets combine to create a haunting tapestry of relationships in Julia Glass’s And the Dark Sacred Night. The past might define or redefine the present. And the urge to face it might be born of bravery or cowardice. But perhaps the hardest thing is knowing when to hold on and when to let go.

A middle-aged man who never knew his father, but loved his stepfather, embarks on a journey to find his roots. A young girl enthralled by music takes her own journey to find show more someone who’ll really see her. And a mother combines deeply religious conviction with deeply human need. Relationships found at great cost are lost in the blink of an eye. But all these relationships live on—past influencing the present; choice influencing hope, as this novel so movingly portrays.

Of all the characters, my favorites are the stepfather, the lover who so kindly cares for the children, and the father I thought I would hate. But every reader will find their own, so many lives reflected in these pages. Rich and poor, bound and free, creative and analytical… all need relationships, imperfectly connected as they are. And truth and sharing just might be overrated.

And the Dark Sacred Night is musical, lyrical and beautifully told. A slow, absorbing read, I really enjoyed it.

Disclosure: I’d read the Three Junes, and thought these books are related, it really didn’t matter that I can’t remember a thing about it. show less

“And the Dark Sacred Night,” by Julia Glass, is a profoundly satisfying, character-driven novel with a simple story of everyday life at its core. The book swept me inside the interior lives of its four main characters, carried me through their present and into their past, and eventually, as soon as I got to the end, left me mourning the loss of these people I’d come to know and care about so intimately. I’ve read all of Glass’ novels with enormous pleasure. I am emotionally drawn show more to her body of work because everything she writes seems to increase my understanding about the interior lives of decent everyday people. For me, she is an astute psychologist of the human mind and a master literary craftsman of the human soul.

This new novel is meticulously constructed around the theme of how the past informs the present; indeed, how knowing one’s past may be absolutely essential in order for the present to unfold without undue distortion.

In this novel, action in the present often demands a shift backward to reveal something in the past that helps the character understand and deal with what is happening in the moment, i.e., the past communicates with the present giving added value and meaning to the present. If readers are impatient, they may feel like they are being pulled away from the arc of the present day plot into an onslaught of unnecessary background stories. But trust that each and every story from the past is necessary to the thematic scope of this novel and its affecting message.

There is a constant forward and backward motion within this novel. As a result, the arc of the present-day plot seems to be delivered in slow motion: each action forward in time, is accompanied by one or more lengthy memories from the past. Many readers may find this annoying, but it is an essential part of Glass’ carefully laid out plans in support her theme.

This book demands careful reading. No amount of detail within the plot is insignificant. Every dip into the past relates directly to what is happening, or will happen in the future. This is not a book where you’ll be able to skim the back-story in order to rush on with the present day plot. If you do, you’ll be missing half the beauty and a great deal of the psychological wisdom.

This book deals with how a single event—in this case, the birth of a child to two teenagers forty years ago—can ripple through the lives of so many people, completely altering absolutely everything.

The child is Christopher “Kit” Noonan, affectionately called “Kitten” by his strong-willed single mother, Daphne Browning. The book begins at a low point in Kit’s life. He is forty, without a job, and his marriage is falling apart. Nothing he does brings him any satisfaction; he’s apathetic and full of hopelessness. His wife feels strongly that the reason behind her husband’s inability to get anything accomplished is that he has no roots; he does not know who his biological father is because his mother has consistently withheld that information. He desperately wants to know; he needs to know; without this knowledge, he is paralyzed in the present without a significant part of his past to inform him about who he is.

The plot is Kit’s quest to find his father and connect with his past and, once this is accomplished, we see how this knowledge informs, shapes, and properly assists him in moving forward with his life.

It’s a meditative and intellectually satisfying premise for a book. In Julia Glass’ skillful hands it becomes a contemplative and artful literary gem.

I loved this novel. I was sad to see it end. For me, this was definitely a five-star jewel; however, I will not be surprised if many of Glass’ fans are a little bit disappointed and see only four-stars where I see five. The author’s emphasis on theme over plot and how she chose to play it out within the highly structured design of this novel is also its weakness, and perhaps, the main reason why some fans may knock it down a notch in comparison with her best works. Regardless, this is one terrific literary novel and I recommend it with enthusiasm. show less

When author and illustrator Mort Lear dies, his assistant Tomasina (Tommy) is left carrying out his wishes: rather than leave all his works and papers to a museum that has had much of his collection on loan for years, his will directs her to disperse it widely and use the funds to create a home for boys in the author's native Tuscon. Meanwhile, the museum curator is beside herself, and the actor playing Mort in an upcoming film wants to visit and learn as much as he can about the man himself show more for his performance - and seems to know a little more than even Tommy does about Mort's past.

Many of the books I read for my book club seem to tease out the question, "How well can you really know another person?" Well, this one does it in spades. Who really knows Mort Lear, and in the end is it really important to fully understand him? His character is at least partly based on Maurice Sendak, who was also gay and had loaned materials to The Rosenbach in Philadelphia who had to return items to his estate after a legal battle. This focuses most on the characters, however, and how their relationships intertwine but how ultimately no one really knows another person. show less

Dystopian novel set in the near future (2030s) in the small fictional community of Vigil Harbor, Massachusetts. American society is dealing with climate change, eco-terrorism, pandemic fallout, immigration bans, and escalating political divisiveness. The primary plotline is based on a group of ecoterrorists that disrupt this privileged and (mostly) sheltered town.

There are nine primary characters, each with a distinctive voice. Mike is a marine biologist tracking decline in sea life. Egon show more is Mike’s gay son who is in the closet. Margo is a retired high school English teacher whose husband having an affair with Mike’s wife. Miriam has remarried several years after losing her husband to COVID-19. Her son Brecht survived a terrorist act and has returned home to live with his mother. His stepfather Austin is an architect designing housing that will withstand the worsening climate conditions. Connie is helping to run her son’s homeschool group. Her husband, Celestino, is a Guatemalan landscaper who is worried about immigration issues. Petra is posing as a journalist to find out more about her partner’s suicide, and thinks Austin is hiding information.

I have read one other novel by Julia Glass (Three Junes) which I enjoyed very much so I thought I’d give her latest a try. It is a sprawling epic that paints a portrait of an entire community and their relationships. `It is amazing that the author can write all these characters and their backstories in a way that the reader can easily follow. She excels at character development. These people are flawed and believable. Many are dealing with grief. All are dealing with fears. Other themes include security, parenting, trust, and identity.

There is even a small element of magical realism, but I am not convinced this book needed it. There is already enough going on without it. This dystopian society is an extrapolation of current issues. I am not sure I can envision the ecological movement going to these extremes (at least I hope not), but it is definitely thought-provoking. It can get a bit depressing at times, but in the end, it is a story about the importance of love, understanding, acceptance, and the need to bond together to face the challenges of the future. show less