Day

Pulitzer Prize winner Cunningham (The Hours) masterfully interweaves global chaos and the personal tribulations of a family navigating a single day in April over three consecutive years—2019, 2020, and 2021. At the narrative’s core are Isabel and Dan, devoted parents to Nathan and Violet, with Robbie, Isabel’s brother, assuming the vital role of a third parent and serving as the familial glue who is best friends with both his sister and his brother-in-law. As the family’s breadwinner, Isabel carries a significant burden, while Dan endeavors to resurrect his once-aspiring career as a minor local rock star—a pursuit whose time has clearly passed. Shifting to 2020, the onset of the pandemic, Cunningham aptly captures the palpable fear that permeated those uncertain times. In 2021, there is loss and grief. Cunningham’s prose is superb, offering a rich tapestry of subtle emotions, while Julianne Moore’s narration elevates the story with a nuanced delivery that deftly distinguishes each character without overperforming specific voices.