Search (novel)

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Search is a 2022 American novel by Michelle Huneven written as a fictional memoir by Dana Potowski, a 54-year-old food critic and memoirist who belongs to a Unitarian Universalist congregation. When the longtime minister Rev. Tom Fox says he will leave, the church starts a yearlong search for a new minister, and Dana joins the eight-person search committee. Other members include Belinda, Charlotte, Sam (connected to the Rourke family), Adrian, and three young people—Jennie, Riley, and Curtis. The book draws on Huneven’s own experiences as a food critic and UU member; she has said she once planned a memoir about cooking for her ill mother, which she considered turning into a YA book. Critics described the novel as funny and insightful about church life: the Los Angeles Times called it “sassy and savvy,” and Kirkus Reviews called it “tender, salty, and worthy of note.” Some reviews praised the character work and church politics while noting the memoir framing and certain subplots as weaknesses.