Search: A Novel

Michelle Huneven

Apr 2022 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

“Delectable. . . Huneven treats us to a savory plot that blends spiritual yearnings with earthly pleasures. Forks out!”—Oprah Daily * An NPR Best Book of 2022

From critically acclaimed, award-winning author Michelle Huneven, a sharp and funny novel of a congregational search committee, told as a memoir with recipes

Dana Potowski is a restaurant critic and food writer and a longtime member of a progressive Unitarian Universalist congregation in Southern California. Under pressure to find her next book idea, she’s asked to join the church search committee for a new minister and agrees, resolving to secretly pen a memoir, with recipes, about the experience. That memoir, Search, follows the travails of the committee and their candidates—and becomes its own media sensation.

Dana had good material to work with: the committee is a wide-ranging mix of Unitarian Universalist congregants, and their candidates range from a baker and microbrew master/pastor to a reverend who identifies as both a witch and an environmental warrior. Although she may have been ambivalent about joining the committee, Dana finds that she cares deeply about the fate of this institution and she will fight the entire committee, if necessary, to win the day for her side. This wry and wise tale will speak to anyone who has ever gone searching.

Ratings and reviews

autobiographical-fiction, recipes, cooking, humor, ministry, parish-life, religious-differences, relatives, relationships***** Not sure what I expected, but this was great fun. So descriptive of a plethora of people and ideas. Some of this stuff just couldn't have been made up: the self medicating anesthesiologist who wanted her to meet him in the bathroom to the polyamorous individuals tho were thrilled to have her take them to a restaurant so she could critique the food (she is a food columnist), to the vagaries of extending a call and vetting a prospective new clergyperson. Both fun and enlightening. Loved it. I requested and received a free ebook copy from PENGUIN GROUP/ The Penguin Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

All about a Unitarian-Universalist church search committee looking for a new minister. Badly selected group, lots of personal animosity. Self-absorbed people not able to put the good of the community first. Not realistic based on my experience.

About the author

Michelle Huneven is the author of four novels: Round Rock, Jamesland, Blame, and Off Course. Her books have been New York Times Notable Books and finalists for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is the recipient of a Whiting Award for Fiction, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a James Beard Award for feature writing with recipes, and received her master’s in fine arts from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She teaches writing at University of California, Los Angeles.