Crossroads: A Novel

Set on December 23, 1971, in Chicago during forecasted heavy weather, Crossroads follows the Hildebrandt family at a moment of moral crisis. Russ, an associate pastor at a liberal suburban church, contemplates leaving his wife Marion, who harbors her own secrets. Their eldest son Clem returns from college with rigid moral convictions and has taken an action that will deeply affect his father. Daughter Becky, once her high school's social leader, has embraced the counterculture. Youngest son Perry, who has been selling drugs to seventh graders, has decided to reform. Each family member seeks a freedom that the others complicate. The novel unfolds largely over a single winter day, weaving together multiple perspectives and exploring the history of two generations. Franzen examines a Midwestern family navigating competing desires and moral tensions, balancing intimate character detail with broader social observation.