Search is a 2022 American novel written by Michelle Huneven. The novel is written as a fictionalized memoir by memoirist Dana Potowski, a food critic and memoirist who joins her Unitarian Universalist congregation's year-long search for a new minister.

The novel was based on Huneven's own experiences as a food critic and Unitarian Universalist. While promoting the book Huneven admitted that she intended to try to write one of Dana Potowski's fictional memoirs, Our Best Year, about her year cooking for her ill mother, turning it into a YA book.^[1]

Summary

Dana Potowski is a 54 year old married and childless food critic and memoirist who has lately been drifting from her Unitarian Universalist congregation. Friendly with many of the members she is urged to reach out to the minister, Tom Fox, as other members have been feeling uninspired. She learns that Fox is planning to leave the ministry for a new career which means a search committee must be formed and a year long process to find a new minister must be undertaken.

Fox urges Dana to apply for the committee and she does, becoming one of eight members of the congregation chosen for the job. Joining Dana on the search committee are two active members of the church, Belinda and Charlotte, Sam who married into the powerful Rourke family who were founding members of the congregation, Adrian, a similarly aged therapist, and youngsters Jennie, Riley and Curtis. Dana learns from Fox that Jennie was only asked to join the committee as her parents had heavily donated to the congregation.

As the group begins their search Dana finds herself feeling adrift in the group. Sam cannot seem to remember who she is. Belinda and Charlotte are too serious to be friends. Adrian is friendly but distant. Dana in particular butts heads with Jennie and Riley whom she views as flaky. When it comes time to narrow down applicants Dana realizes that the young group has banded together as a block. Dana is particularly frustrated when her favourite potential minister is blocked by Jennie, who turns out to know him, and her least favourite minister, an actress turned minister named Alanna, makes the final four.

The 4th minister bows out of competition deciding a move is too much for her and the committee learns another candidate has had issues improperly spending money. When it comes time to decide between Elsa, an elder minister and the young Alanna, Dana thinks Elsa will win. However Jennie will only vote for Alanna and the younger members follow her. With Belinda hospitalized, Sam eventually caves to the youngsters as does Charlotte. Dana goes on a rant to the youngsters telling them they should never have even been on the committee and the search was tainted from the start. Faced with the committee failing in an expensive and embarrassing way, Dana caves to the youngsters and votes for Alanna. To the youngsters surprise they are given the task of welcoming Alanna which they do a poor job of doing.

Alanna ministers to the congregation however reception is mixed and Dana cannot fully back Alanna before members of the board. Alanna is voted in with 86% support, technically enough to win, though frequently few ministers accept without 95% support. To everyone's shock Alanna does accept. She asks Dana to give her a chance.

A postscript reveals that, despite giving Alanna a chance, Dana quit the congregation and halved her pledges. Other support fell away. Many of the members of the search committee abandoned the congregation as well including Jennie and Curtis. Nevertheless Dana continues to feel spiritually fulfilled as she has struck up a strong correspondence and friendship with her first choice minister, Elsa, who continues to grow her congregation.

Reception

Dan Cryer of The L.A. Times called it "sassy and savvy"; he writes that it is funny, though "not quite a satire, since Huneven has too much respect for all her seekers".^[2] Kirkus called it "tender, salty, and worthy of note". Describing it as "folsky", the review praised Huneven's development of church politics intrigue but criticized the memoir frame and some subplots.^[3]

References