Book Log 2020 #71: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

If you didn't live through the 1980s, it may be hard to credit the way in which HIV/AIDS ran rampant through the gay community. With no antiretroviral or PrEP medication available, thousands died from diseases that would normally be stopped by our immune system. This book tells the story of that period through two characters and timelines - an art gallery development diretor living in 1980s Chicago, and a woman in the present day who has gone to Paris to find her daughter. 

The two stories cover the same ground of loss and grief, but in different scales. The 1980s timeline gives the immediate and varied reaction to what was happening, from fear of contracting HIV to the fatalism that led some to keep doing what they were doing. The present day timeline takes a longer look at how you come to grips with all of the lives and time lost, and how that shapes who you are today.

I did live through the 1980s, but was young enough where this was always a news story rather than a personal one. This book helped me understand the parts of the story that the news didn't show, and reminded me that for many, that story hasn't ended.