I really liked the concept of the book and appreciated the author's intention but the tone and writing style just weren't a great fit for me personally. I had a hard time connecting with the story but it would definitely be enjoyed by people who enjoy satire with a metaphysical flavor.

This is a strange book. The premise is that the young son of a divinity school professor at an elite university on Chicago's South Side (think U of C where the author was a divinity school student -- did not know that until after I read the book) begins to glow. The illumination is not visible to all, but becomes known and publicized creating chaos for the family and those around them. Lots of theories about what the "nimbus" (as it begins to be referenced as) is and why it is occurring with medical professionals, theologians, laymen citizens and the media weighing in. Certainly, there are themes of faith, belief and family here, but also ambition, fame and what we do in our own self-interest, even at the expense of others. I would not call this a must-read, but it was intriguing and thought=provoking. 3-1/2 stars-ish.

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. If you like a lot of higher mind concepts and big words, then this will probably appeal to you. I liked the basic story and characters who came to life for me, but I was a bit bored by about 25% of the pages and was wishing the book was a bit shorter. I was reading this for entertainment and not to be back in grad school reading dissertations. The action mostly comes near the end of the book so try to hold on. I did want an explanation for why some people couldn't see it and why the phenomenon was happening to Luca in the first place, but as the book delves into the mysterious, there are some things that none of us get answers to.

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and Holt for giving me an opportunity to read this eARC for an honest review.


I am not sure what to make of this one. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely! Was I at times confused? 100%. Did I get lost by some of the theology? Yes, for sure. Is it like anything I've read before? Not quite. This is a unique book for a number of reasons. It is quite well written, relatively funny, and at times philosophically meaningful. However, it can also be frustrating, hard to read, and feel oddly paced. I think the core of it - a glowing boy - is fascinating. The characters all find their own forms of misery, which is both hard to watch and wildly entertaining. The religious overtones make sense most of the time, and it makes for a very entertaining read. All in all, I am happy to have read this and can recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Holt for the early reader of this book.
For all intents and purposes, this book fits so many of my qualifications for a book I’d like- family issues and a little bit of magic. I did very much enjoy this book, but like so many books it dragged a little in the middle. Loved that it was set in Chicago. Loved all
the considerations surrounding religion at the divinity school. At the end of the day this book really answers the question about what humans are willing to do when they believe they are encountering something superhuman.

What a fascinating tale with lots of unexpected twists and turns. This could be considered a page tuner. Robert Baird has delivered a well-developed storyline with a concept that is highly unusual.

A professor of religion at a small campus in Chicago is a regular guy, with a family, two boys and a wife that is a bit resentful as she is saddled with more of the childcare then he is. Kinda typical, but he does try and she supported him to get his PhD and therefore she is a bit over it, but she does love him.

The story, which I don’t want to give away as it will spoil the read, is steeped in deep discussions about religion and signs, meaning about how one deals with God. Except everything is changing for our professor Adrian Bennett as one day he sees his little son glowing with a head Nimbus. That’s all I am going to say.

It is a wild story with so many crazy characters - I almost read it in one sitting. It is well researched, almost like taking a class, but more fun.

A two year old boy, Luca, spontaneously begins to glow. It is a soft glow, translucent, framing him in light and is wispy, rustling around him. This is the Nimbus. Normally this premise would be right up my alley so I was excited to start reading. Although I ultimately enjoyed the novel I found it arduous to get through it. There is quite a bit of religious history from different faiths. I don’t mind that so much as I am a Christian and enjoy religious history. What was cumbersome was the language. Many of the religious references were so obscure that I had to spend time looking them up if I wanted to understand the context. In addition to that the author has an extensive vocabulary. So extensive that there were words I had never encountered before. I don’t mind seeking definitions for words I am unfamiliar but when having to do this and google the religious references it just became too much. It slowed down the pace of reading. I wonder sometimes why authors choose particular words not commonly used when there are synonyms that are more easily recognized. Setting these issues aside, I did enjoy the characters who were fleshed out extremely well, the family dynamics, and how those who were exposed to the Nimbus reacted to it. It was an interesting concept to explore. Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt Publishing for the opportunity to read this.

The Nimbus reminded me a lot of Kevin Wilson's "Nothing to See Here" infused with the dense, dry humor of Terry Pratchett. The magical realism (a child begins to have a literal radiant glow) is fairly mild; the real star of the show is the trenchant wit and banter between characters. If you're someone who likes witty writing, this may be a good title for you, but I personally struggled to engage with the actual story as I found the writing simply too much.

What a treat to have the chance to read The Nimbus. It was a story unlike anything I had read before. I connected with the themes of family and faith throughout the book. The writing is brilliant and the storytelling fantastic. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Truly a unique book I won’t soon forget. This reminded me so much of THE LEFTOVERS. There’s a lot in this book about faith versus fact, mass delusions, egotistic academics, and the cost of believing in the unexplained. I really loved this one.

I was intrigued by the book synopsis describing the metaphysical aspect of the storyline. However, this was a DNF for me – I gave up at 35 percent when I found myself skipping over slow-paced, tedious paragraphs. The writing style was overly verbose and pedantic. I found the characters uninteresting and unsympathetic. The one redeeming quality of the novel was the challenging vocabulary that kept me investigating unfamiliar words.

I am sure there are others who will find this novel gratifying, but it was not a match for me, and I do not recommend it.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This was a good book! It was so entertaining to see how all the characters reacted to the glowing, or the Nimbus, and also how those who could not see the glow were reacting. It did make you think, it had some religious themes, and it was very well written!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

This was a wonderfully done novel, it had that element that I was expecting from the genre. The characters had that feel that I wanted and enjoyed the satire element to these characters. Robert P. Baird wrote a great story and was hooked with how good everything was.