What a lovely book this turned out to be. A serious complex gorgeously told dramatic work of fiction following two couples for decades through all the trials and tribulations of their lives. Charles and James are connected through their work, when they become co ministers of a New York City church. But we meet them before that, when they are young men, we follow them through college, as they discover their calling and fall in love and look for their place in the rapidly changing world of the early 1960s. Charles and James are very different, both as ministers and as men, but their differences mesh well together, allowing for a great friendship and working relationship. Their wives, though, are different in a way that can’t be reconciled, which creates for some turbulence throughout the years. Charles marries an emotionally distant academic who doesn’t share his faith, James marries a wealthy Southerner, a preacher’s daughter, a devout family minded woman who thrives in a church environment. Charles believes in preaching in a more traditional way, James is dead set on social reforms. All these differences lead to some fascinating dynamics and dramatic scenarios that are depicted with terrific precision and emotional intelligence. The novel contemplates the nature of love and faith and community and purpose and meaning…all the major ones and yet it stays compelling as a story, never veering into proselytizing, easy as that might have been. Or at least it does until both couples inevitably reproduce. And then it becomes also heavily about the children, the dynamics shift dramatically and, frankly, it isn’t necessarily an improvement. Charles’ wife, for one, a woman who has so valued her independence and intellectual pursuits that it actually made her a somewhat challenging spouse, especially for a minister, is effectively and immediately turned into a mother and a caretaker. She didn’t even want to have kids in the first place, but then not only does she have twins, but also one of them turns out to be severely on the spectrum (something so new it’s barely heard of in those days), so that’s pretty much her entire life from there on. Granted she’s the least likeable character in the book, by far the most contentious and not even an entirely pleasant woman, permanently shaped into emotional severity by the death of her parents when she was young. But within the context of the narrative, it’s almost as if she got punished with this kid. It’s especially noticeable because the rest of the characters, James and Nan and Charles and co. are so immediately likeable, charming and charismatic. So yeah, maybe the baby making, raising, etc. taking up the last third or so of the book diminished the entire experience somewhat for me, but only very marginally. I still enjoyed the book very much and I loved the way it contemplated personal faith in the grand scheme of things. A proper novel this is, intelligent, compelling, well written, and meditative and absolutely lovely. With genuinely great characters. Quite a feat, especially for a debut. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Beautifully written and insightful, rich with family history and dynamics, this debut novel brings four protagonists and a host of minor characters to life. Line after line was so good, I kept highlighting these lovely, memorable words in my kindle.

At times I grew weary of these people. About a third of the way in Charles marries Lily, and James marries Nan. In the romance genre, that be the "The End" for two great romance stories. Here, it is just the beginning. In the middle section, James and Charles share a church as dual pastors with dueling wives. Lily takes an immediate dislike to Nan, which makes Lily even harder to like than she was before. Charles was so patient and persisent trying to win her over in their college years. Not until the final page does she seem to grasp what he meant to her. From the first page, we know that Charles is recently deceased, and Nan knows better than to phone Lily with condolences. The ending is delivered upfront because plot is not the primary focus her, but character development. Why does Nan know she shouldn't phone Lily? The unspooling of these relationships is deftly written with a gradual (some might say glacial) account of how these four people evolve and mature.

Parenthood is the biggest game-changer for these two couples. In the first section, we see Charles, Nan, and James as teenagers whose parents have rigid expectations of them. Lily's parents die young, leaving her shattered and walled off from normal human relationship. Watching Charles break through is fabulous. In the middle section, becoming parents will change everything for these four.

Lily's son Will is ultimately diagnosed with autism, and the chapters describing the horrors of how autism and other "mental" or intellectual conditions were dealt with (usually by shipping the child to a "home") are horrifying.

Most readers will hate Lily sometimes yet admire her at others. James champions one "lost cause" after another, annoying many parishioners, but his compassion prevails. Seeing what he builds is half the fun of reading the novel.

Beautiful and insightful prose notwithstanding, the novel started dragging for me after the two couples settled into place. Be careful what you wish for--I have complained for years that thrillers, romances and suspense novels rely on contrived conflict and stupid plot devices. Cara Wall is guilty of no such nonsense. Her characters are true and authentic. Not once does the story feel contrived. Everything is authentic, from Jane the church secretary to her successor, who is almost too cool to believe, except that people like him really do exist.

I'm not sure I like the way the opening chapter and the final chapter frame this story, but I've never been a fan of frame stories, so there's that. I am however a great fan of "literary," and "The Dearly Beloved" will not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this tenderly wrought, moving, and believable story.

Not at all what I was expecting. Good storyline, just a bit off. Characters were not complimentary. Not a favorite, for sure.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

I am loving all of these books coming out set in the 1960s. It's so interesting to compare and contrast themes from a particular era. Two couples - Charles and Lily, James and Nan - find their lives inextricably linked when Charles and James accept the call to co-minister at the Third Presbyterian Church in NYC in 1963. While this book is certainly a thoughtful meditation on faith, it's also a meditation on the challenges to faith, the limits to faith, the salvation that love and friendship can bring, and one's role as keeper of our brothers and sisters in humanity. It's a strong debut novel by Cara Wall that will surely garner wide appeal upon its release in August 2019.

I wanted to like this, but it just dragged. I didn't make it past 15% because it just didn't hold my attention. I just couldn't warm up to the characters.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this and reflect on the engaging collision between these fascinating people. This is the beautifully written story of 2 couples, thrown together by their roles as co-ministers of a church.

Wall explores the differences, hostility and challenges of the couples. The greatest challenge being the birth of a child with autism. Wall digs deeply into the science and treatment of such a child. She is able to explore the various dimensions of having a child with autism on the entire family.

In this time of inexplicable rising numbers of children with autism, this book will provide unique insights into child and family. It is certainly something that educators should read to help them cope with the challenges this condition brings to family and school.

I will certainly recommend this to my Education students.

Thank you Netgalley.