The Washington Post, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, and many other publications named this novel the best book of 2021.

It's December 1971, and a snowstorm is expected in Chicago and its suburbs. Russ Hildebrandt, a pastor at a suburban church, is nearly ready to end his joyless marriage. However, it turns out that his wife, Marion, who has her own secrets, is also weary of their family life.

Their eldest son, Clem, returns home from university with a decision that will soon shock Russ. Their only daughter, Becky, a school star, suddenly dives into the whirlpool of counterculture. The third child, Perry, who had been selling drugs to younger students, decides to turn over a new leaf.

Each member of the Hildebrandt family seeks freedom, yet they all hinder each other from achieving it.