The Great Believers

Fiona is the other primary narrator of The Great Believers. She owns and manages a second-hand store (based on a real second-hand store called The Brown Elephant) that donates much of its proceeds to the Howard Brown Foundation (a real Chicago-based foundation for LGBTQIA healthcare). Though physically small and pixie-like, she is strong-willed, stubborn, and fiercely protective of those she loves. She is the younger sister of Nico, a gay man whose parents cast him out of the house when they learn about his sexuality. Fiona spent much of her teenage years secreting away money and supplies to help her brother survive, and moved out of her family home early to support him. Fiona thus bonds very closely with Nico’s friend group, and becomes a member of their chosen family. She is self-sacrificing and extremely dedicated to the lives and memories of her gay friends (to the degree that she often ignores her own needs).

When Nico and his friends die of AIDS, Fiona experiences each successive death as a family trauma: A deep, personal loss. She also obtains legal power of attorney for her gay friends with AIDS (to serve as an advocate for their continued care). Fiona’s narrative moves back and forth between her life at the age of 21—living in Chicago and caring for her friends with AIDS—and her life at age 51—searching for her estranged daughter, Claire, in Paris.

Fiona is very close with Yale, and often serves as his confidant—despite their age difference—connecting him with her Aunt Nora simply because she loves him. Both Fiona and Yale also connect over their shared sense of survivor’s guilt after Nico’s death, and both of them search for “signs” of Nico in the objects and memories he’s left behind. The novel also insinuates that Fiona might be seeking a father figure—having moved out of the house so young—and that her marriage to her professor, Damian, is an extension of her search for family.

As Fiona searches for Claire in Paris, the novel reveals that the she has felt emotional friction with her daughter from the very day she was born. Claire was born on the day of Yale’s death, and Fiona has always felt guilty about the fact that she wasn’t physically present when Yale died. Thus, as Fiona attempts to mend her broken relationship with Claire, she also comes to terms with her grief over her friends’ deaths 30 years ago. 

Nico is Fiona’s older brother. Though he does not appear in the novel as a living character, both Yale and Fiona regularly reflect on his life (and death).

Nico was forced to leave home when his parents kicked him out after learning he was gay. He spent most of his adult life living in Chicago, working as a set designer, and enjoying life with his partner, Terrence, and his friends Yale, Charlie, Teddy, and Asher. When Nico first became sick from AIDS, Fiona spent much of her time caring for him and advocating for his medical treatment. In the later stages of his illness, however, her parents stepped in and took over his care, moving him to an ill-equipped hospital in the suburbs (and thus compromising his quality of treatment). The novel suggests that Nico’s parents were not concerned with his well-being, but rather, with his respectability (and maintaining their own reputations by concealing his gayness from the public).

Thus, when the novel opens on the day of Nico’s funeral, most of Nico’s gay friends do not gather in the church where the service is being held. Instead, they hold their own celebration in his honor. Likewise, Fiona vows that if any of Nico’s friends become sick with AIDS, she will use her power of attorney to make sure their wishes are fully respected.

Nora is Fiona’s great aunt. Though she is in her 90s during the 1985-86 sections of the novel, she is still beautiful, and looks no older than 70. She was an art student and a model in Paris during the 1920s, and met several influential artists there (including Modigliani). She has retained a large and valuable collection of sketches and paintings that these artists gifted to her for modeling. During the 1985-86 sections of the novel, Nora is in the process of donating her art collection to the Brigg Gallery at Northwestern University, where Yale works. She is donating her artwork (valued at over 2 million dollars) upon the recommendation of Fiona, but against the wishes of her son, Frank, and granddaughter, Debra.

Nora feels deeply connected to Yale. Many of Nora’s artist friends passed away during the Great War, and she likens her emotional struggle to his own (as he watches his young friends die of AIDS). Nora also entrusts Yale with the responsibility of ensuring that the artwork of her longtime love—an unknown artist named Ranko Novak—be given equal gallery space to the works of well-known artists in her collection.

Nora passes away as a result of congestive heart failure before she can see her own gallery show. Yale also passes away from congestive heart failure (as a complication of AIDS). These overlaps between Nora and Yale’s physical degeneration affirm their connection (and the novel’s themes of repetitive history, loss, and rebirth).

Terrence is Nico’s long-term romantic partner. Throughout Nico’s illness, Fiona struggles to make hospital staff respect Terrence as a family member, and refuses to see her brother without him.

Terrence becomes sick from AIDS shortly after Nico’s death. On the night immediately following Yale’s breakup with Charlie, Yale stays in Terrence’s apartment (which is in disarray due to his weakened condition).

Charlie is Yale’s boyfriend at the beginning of the novel. Though he originally comes from England, he has lived in Chicago for many years, and is a major figure in the Chicago gay scene. He runs a gay newspaper called Out Loud Chicago which publicizes gay lifestyle issues, art, and events. He has received criticism, however, for his commercial interests—using ad sales to drive the paper—as well as his vocal critiques of hook-up culture—and insistence on safe sex, monogamy, and condom use.

When Charlie is diagnosed with AIDS, loses his relationship with Yale, and realizes his hypocrisy has been revealed (as someone who does not practice safe sex), he begins a downward spiral of self-destructive behaviors. He spends a great deal of money on his cocaine addiction, and writes odd, rambling letters to past partners while high. These letters suggest Charlie’s grief and regret for past decisions, and his desire to be forgiven. Eventually, his health deteriorates, and he spends his final days being cared for in the hospital by Teresa. Before he dies, Yale comes to visit him, and expresses his forgiveness by gently feeding him small drops of water.

Teresa is Charlie’s mother. She is a caring, loving woman who adores Yale, and thinks of him as a second son. Because Yale’s own family is not supportive of him and his sexuality, he often calls Teresa independent of Charlie (just for friendly chats).

When Charlie becomes infected with AIDS, Teresa urges Yale to get tested and stay together with her son. When the two of them break up, Yale not only mourns over the possibility that AIDS might shorten his life, but that he has lost his emotional support system, including Teresa. 

Bill is the director of the Brigg Gallery at Northwestern University, where Yale works. He is in his 60s and nearing retirement, and he is extremely enthusiastic when Yale acquires a collection of 1920s artwork (from Nora’s Parisian artist friends). He sees the collection as his swan song: The last major accomplishment of his career. Because of this desire to end on a high note, however, Bill becomes greedy and preemptively loans out several of Nora’s pieces to other major galleries (delaying the official opening of her gallery at the Brigg).

Bill is married to a kind but homely woman named Dolly, but Yale detects early on that Bill is secretly gay. Richard Campo later confirms this when he recalls seeing Bill at gay bars when he was younger. Yale also learns that Bill has been engaged in a long-term secret affair with Roman, his graduate assistant.

Roman is a soft-spoken, odd-mannered young man from a Mormon family in California. He dresses all in black and exudes the air of a gay man who hasn’t yet recognized his sexuality. When Yale travels to Wisconsin with him on business, Roman makes a pass at him, pretending to be sexually curious and inexperienced. Thus, Yale embarks on a casual affair with Roman, believing that he is a virgin (and thus refraining from some of his usual sexual precautions).

Eventually, Yale learns that Roman has been having affairs with several other men, including Bill, and that he has misrepresented himself. After (initially) testing negative for HIV, Yale learns that he has been infected by Roman. Just as Charlie’s sexual practices were different from his self-presentation, Roman’s sex life is far different from the social aura he cultivates.

Cecily is the Director of Planned Giving at Northwestern University. Yale compares her appearance to Princess Diana. Much like Princess Diana, she gives of a cold, inaccessible professional vibe (which is necessary for a career woman in the 90s), but cultivates a secret love of partying with gay men. She quickly latches onto Yale as a friend, and lets him stay at her apartment when he breaks up with Charlie. She also takes in Roscoe after Terrence’s death and cares for Yale just before he dies.

Cecily’s son, Kurt, later joins a cult with Claire in Colorado. In 2015, Fiona asks Cecily to join her in Paris and help her repair her relationships with their mutual family members. Though Cecily initially refuses—claiming she feels the “mother” part of her life is over—she changes her mind, curious to meet her granddaughter, Nicolette.

Kurt is Cecily’s son. When Claire is in college, he pursues her out of romantic interest (even though he is almost a decade older than she is). For several years in Claire’s 20s, they live together in a conservative Christian cult in rural Colorado.

Though Fiona initially convinces herself that Claire joined the cult as a result of Kurt’s controlling nature and emotional manipulation, she later comes to realize that he was a caring (if confused) partner. Kurt only joined the cult to be close to Claire, who was far more devoted to the cult than he was (and—at first—far more devoted to the cult than she was to him). 

Claire is Fiona’s daughter (and only child). From early on in her childhood, Claire has rebelled against Fiona, bitter about the amount of attention her mother has dedicated to gay activist causes (and the lack of attention she has paid to her). Near the end of the novel, Fiona reveals that Claire was born on the day Yale died, and both of them believe this unfortunate event has colored their lifelong relationship.

In her early 20s, Claire joins a Christian cult in rural Colorado. Kurt Pearce (Cecily’s son) follows her to the cult. They have a child together, and Claire experiences physical complications during the childbirth. After they steal the cult’s van and flee from the hospital (to avoid paying the steep bill), Claire and Kurt move to Paris. Soon after the move, they split up, and Claire becomes the primary parent of Nicolette (their daughter).

Claire loves art and film, and she is a talented painter. Fiona discovers that her daughter is living in Paris when a friend recognizes her from a video about Parisian life. In the video, Claire is seen painting on a prominent bridge (along with Nicolette).

Nicolette is Claire’s daughter with Kurt. Though Claire is the primary parent, she is amicable with Kurt, and he frequently helps out as a babysitter. In 2015 (the later sections of the novel), Nicolette is three years-old. With her blonde curls and sound-alike name, Nicolette intensely reminds Fiona of her deceased brother, Nico. Toward the end of the novel, Claire reflects that she wishes she could’ve been Yale’s reincarnation (and thus, the novel positions Nicolette as Nico’s symbolic reincarnation). 

Damian is Fiona’s ex-husband (in the 2015 sections of the novel) and former professor (from when she was a student at the University of Wisconsin). Though he remarried after his divorce with Fiona, he and Fiona have bonded over their shared search for Claire, and keep in regular contact with each other. 

Arnaud is the private detective Fiona hires to track down Claire in Paris.

Frank is Nora’s son. He is very much against Nora’s donation to the Brigg, and his friend Chuck Donovan—a wealthy alumnus of Northwestern—threatens to rescind his donation on Frank’s behalf. When Debra learns that Nora’s collection is worth over 2 million dollars, she tells Frank, which leads to an inflammatory response from Chuck. Frank and Chuck’s anger ultimately results in Yale being fired.

Debra is Nora’s granddaughter and live-in caregiver. She is self-sacrificing and devoted to Nora, though she initially defends Nora’s desire to donate her collection to the Brigg. After learning the full $2 million value of the artwork, however, she feels betrayed and taken advantage of.

The Sharps are wealthy, artistic, and liberally minded donors to Northwestern. They personally finance the authentication of Nora’s artwork and become important supporters of the gallery project. When Yale finds himself homeless after his breakup with Charlie, the Sharps generously allow him to stay in their condo while they are away in Colorado.

Jake is a handsome, athletic freelance photographer in his early 30s whom Fiona meets on her flight to Paris. They reunite in Paris, and Jake attempts to establish a connection with Richard Campo (via Fiona). Jake and Fiona also enjoy a casual affair together.

Richard is a gay photographer who is an older, paternal figure to his gay friends in the 80s. He is well-known for documenting gay life and the AIDS epidemic. In the 1985-86 sections of the novel, Richard lives in Chicago and enjoys spending time with his friends in Boystown. In the later 2015 sections of the novel, Richard lives in Paris with his partner, Serge.

The novel begins with a life celebration for Nico held at Richard’s apartment. During this celebration, Richard shows a slideshow he made featuring photos from Nico’s life. In the final chapter of the novel, Richard showcases some of these same photos in a thirty-year memorial exhibition in Paris. The novel closes with a short video on loop featuring Nico, Terrence, Yale, Charlie, Asher, Teddy, and Julian all together.

As an older gay figure, Richard provides long-spanning perspective on gay culture, gay rights movements, and the transitions of spaces over time.

Julian is a charming, flirtatious, and warm-hearted actor who is part of Yale’s friend group in Chicago. He is known for popping up next to friends at parties and affectionately placing his head on their shoulders.

Julian is in a number of casual relationships, including an on-again, off again relationship with Teddy. Thus, when Charlie comes onto him and solicits him for a one-time fling, Julian believes that Yale is complicit with their arrangement. When Julian becomes sick with AIDS, he grows depressed, and decides to escape to Puerto Rico. Before he leaves, he stays with Yale in the Sharps condo (and they bond over emotionally difficult confessions).

Thirty years later, Julian reunites with Fiona in Paris. She is shocked to see him, having assumed that he died. Julian explains that he was able to hold on until receiving better drug treatment. Having processed his own survivor’s guilt, Julian is instrumental in helping Fiona overcome her own guilt and shame.