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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
Cult standoff with casualties at the novel's end; moderate violence
Language
Barely any
Mild profanity
Sexual Content
Some
Hollywood sexual politics; adult relationships across the generations
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking; a character struggles with addiction
Emotional Intensity
Some
The loss of faith and its consequences across generations; religious cultism and its psychological grip
What this book is about
Updike follows the Wilmot family from 1910, when Presbyterian minister Clarence Wilmot loses his faith, through his son Teddy, his granddaughter Essie who becomes a Hollywood star, and her son Clark who joins a religious cult. A multi-generational American novel about the replacement of religion by celebrity culture and the cult of personality, culminating in a Waco-like standoff.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Cult violence
Loss of religious faith as a family tragedy
Hollywood moral corruption
Reader Verification
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