And the Dark Sacred Night (Glass) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
What does it mean to discover your father when you are older than he would ever be? Kit worries that he is unable to feel sad enough. Too often now, he wonders what it is he should feel.” The reader may have a similar reaction, never quite believing in these people or in what links them to one another. Part of this can be attributed to a loose authorial grip on character management.... Glass has her hands full keeping everyone on the page, let alone making significant connections among them. And in truth, significant connection rarely happens at family gatherings. These get-­togethers really serve to find references in the past, update the present and smoke pipe dreams for the next generation
Carol Anshaw - New York Times Book Review


Glass's uneven new novel centers around 40-year-old Kit Noonan, an unemployed college professor who—against his mother Daphne's wishes—wants to track down Malachy Burns, the father he never knew (and a character from Glass's 2002 National Book Award-winning debut Three Junes).... [Some] sections ring with emotional truth while others feel precious.... This imperfect work will still reward loyal readers.
Publishers Weekly


Winner of the National Book Award for her 2002 debut, Three Junes, Julia Glass takes another sympathetic look at the complexities of contemporary life in this novel about family secrets.... Examining complicated family relationships among several families whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways, this warm and engaging story about what it means to be a father will appeal to most readers. —Leslie Patterson, Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Library Journal


(Starred review.) Glass explores the pain of family secrets, the importance of identity, and the ultimate meaning of family.... Although Glass borrows characters from her National Book Award–winning Three Junes, it is not necessary to have read that previous book to enjoy this lovely, highly readable, and thought-provoking novel.
Booklist