The narrative explores the aftermath of a tragic accident involving Jack and Lily's daughter, Katie, which leads to a harrowing custody battle. As they navigate the bureaucratic challenges and their own fears—Lily's past mental health issues and Jack's blame towards her—their relationship begins to fracture. Alternating perspectives reveal their emotional struggles and divergent responses to the crisis. Beyond the immediate turmoil, the story delves into themes of privacy, identity, and the essential nature of love amidst adversity.
Reverend Jordanna Nash, a tall and dynamic minister, seeks solace in a Connecticut town to escape her personal tragedies, including the loss of her babies and a troubled marriage. While her congregation thrives under her guidance, her faith is tested when a young mother she counsels goes missing and a youth group member faces an unexpected pregnancy. These events challenge Jordanna's beliefs and force her to confront her own struggles, blending themes of grief, community, and the complexities of faith.
Malcolm Dowd is almost positive he recognizes the young woman who shows up for a session at his office in Baxter College’s Center for Behavioral Health — he just can’t place her. When suddenly she stands, takes off her wig, and reveals herself as Noah, the young man Malcolm had been treating months earlier, it marks the start of a relationship that will change them both forever. Since his wife’s death years earlier in a car accident, Malcolm had dedicated himself to giving his two daughters the stable, predictable childhood he did not have. But nothing is predictable — not his daughters, not himself, and certainly not Noah. As Noah attempts to juggle homework and the campus production of "Les Miserables" with his search to define himself, his life becomes inextricably entwined with Malcolm’s. Told alternately from Malcolm’s and Noah’s perspectives, The Listener is a wise and witty novel about the challenges to identity that arise in both adolescence and middle age. It is a story, ultimately, about human connection and the many shapes that love can take.
