"And The Dark and Sacred Night," by Julia Glass

Julia Glass, the bestselling author of “Three Junes,” which I read and enjoyed, has since written four other novels, the latest of which is “And The Dark and Sacred Night” (Pantheon, 2014). The main character, Kit, is stalled in his life, and decides to go on that classic quest: the quest for his father. His loving mother has never told him who his father was, and he is now realizing -- with a push from his wife -- that in order to move on with his life, he needs to find out. He speaks to his former stepfather, who gives him a clue, and as one thing leads to another, he eventually learns what he needs to learn, but with a twist. Along the way, he connects to several people related to him, to his mother, and to his father, and he realizes he is part of a larger and more loving family than he ever knew. There are some great characters in this novel, along with a brisk and engaging plot, and we readers learn much about families and identities. In other words, this is a rich, satisfying novel.