The Great Believers

Throughout The Great Believers, Makkai examines several connections between the lived experiences of Nora Lerner and Yale Tishman. What are some of the precise connections the novel develops between Nora and Yale? What do you think Makkai was trying to suggest with these connections?

The title of the novel, The Great Believers, comes from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “My Generation.” Makkai includes a quote from Fitzgerald’s work in the opening of the novel. Why do you think Makkai used this particular quote for the book’s title? How does this quote reflect the perspectives of Yale, Fiona, and Nora?

The Great Believers features many objects that contain complex histories, including Nora’s art collection, Fiona’s thrift store, and the left-behind belongings of Nico, Terrence, and Julian. Choose at least three different objects and track their development over the course of the novel. What do these objects reveal about both their original and adoptive owners?