The Children Act by Ian McEwan

The marketing for The Children Act will rightfully focus on religion; it is a novel that asks provocative questions about faith, freedom, and ethics. But I would argue that at its heart, The Children Act is a book about choices, and the way a single decision can ricochet into the world with startling, unpredictable consequences. The Children Act is also pure Ian McEwan all the way through—elegant, haunting, and arresting, the kind of book you find yourself returning to over and over again. I couldn’t ask for anything more in a novel.