The Nimbus by Robert P. Baird is a thought-provoking debut novel that blends intellectual satire, family drama, and metaphysical mystery into a compelling narrative. Set on a university campus in Chicago, the novel follows Adrian Bennett, a divinity school professor whose toddler son mysteriously begins to glow. The phenomenon—dubbed "the nimbus"—defies scientific explanation and appears only intermittently, unsettling those who witness it. As news of the nimbus spreads, Adrian, his wife Renata, and his graduate student Paul Harkin find their lives entangled in a web of faith, ambition, and existential uncertainty.

Baird’s writing is sharp, satirical, and deeply philosophical, offering a nuanced exploration of belief in a secular age. The novel critiques academia while weaving a family drama that is both intimate and expansive. The characters are flawed yet compelling, each grappling with their own crises as they navigate the mystery of the nimbus. The novel’s blend of humor and existential inquiry makes it stand out. The shifting perspectives allow readers to see how different characters interpret the nimbus, adding layers to the novel’s central mystery.

I found The Nimbus to be a brilliantly crafted novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy literary fiction with philosophical depth. If you appreciate novels that challenge conventional thinking while delivering an engaging story, this one is worth picking up.

Thank you Netgalley & Henry Holt and Co. for an eARC ♥️

Okay, so imagine this: a toddler starts randomly glowing. 😳Not like, "Oh my kid’s so cute he lights up my life" glowing—like, actual soft, weird, can’t-explain-it light coming off his skin. That’s the wild premise of *The Nimbus*, a book that’s equal parts funny, smart, and surprisingly emotional.
The kid’s dad, Adrian, is a divinity professor who’s *way* too into analyzing the glow like it’s some holy sign. His wife, Renata, can’t even see it, which is hilarious (and also kind of heartbreaking). Then there’s Paul, Adrian’s grad student who’s basically professional chaos in human form, and Warren, a washed-up librarian who thinks the glow might save him. Everyone reacts differently—some want to worship it, some want to study it, and some just want it to stop ruining their lives.
The book nails the absurdity of academia (so many pretentious arguments about the "meaning" of the glow) while also making you care about these deeply flawed people. There’s no big sci-fi explanation, no tidy ending—just a bunch of messy humans trying to make sense of something magical in a world that’s lost its wonder.

Weird, witty, and weirdly touching. 4.5/5 stars—would read again just to watch these characters spiral.🤗

On an otherwise ordinary fall day on a university campus in Chicago, the toddler son of an ambitious divinity school professor named Adrian Bennett mysteriously starts to glow. Not everyone can see the soft light, or nimbus, around the boy.....Luca's mother is one of the ones who can not see anything, and she is frustrated not only by the fact that she can't see what others claim they can, but by the way her husband seems to be using their son for his own glory. Every test imaginable is run on Luca, but they all come back negative. No one has any idea why this is happening. Many see it as a sign from God,. Some claim that just being in Luca's presence when he is glowing changes them for the better. Warren Kayita is a down-on-his-luck librarian with the university and aging divinity school alumnus on the run from a violent criminal. When he finally catches up to him, he offers him a deal - take him to Luca and let him spend a few minutes in his presence, and he will wipe his debts clean and never hear from him again.

I have a like/dislike relationship with this book. So let me just lay out what I liked and didn't like and let you make your own decision to read from there.
Like:
It was an interesting concept
Was not expecting it to end the way it did
Dislike:
The book was a slow burn for most of the book
The book was 352 pages but felt like a lot longer than that. I don't know if it was the slow burn, lack of action, the pacing (sometimes it was exciting but more often than not it just seemed to plod along)
There weren't any likeable characters in the book

Ovreall I would give this a 3.5 rounded up to a 4

quite fun and well done read! the religious history of various different religions, both past and present, were intersected well, though at points terms were a bit annoying. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

What is most important to you? Your ultimate concern, using Paul Tillich’s nomenclature? What grounds your life, takes up your energy, brings meaning?

The Nimbus is the story of a group of people who respond to an unexpected phenomenon, a miracle one could say, and their responses reveal what is most important to them. Furthering a career, protecting a family, hope for a life altering miracle, proof of God and a basis for faith.

Adrian is a professor of divinity. He asked his grad student Paul to watch his son for a few minutes. Paul noted that the child was glowing. When he returned, Adrian saw it, too. But Adrian’s wife Renata couldn’t see the glow. Their older son Max complained to his parents, asking that Luca turn off his light.

Renata wanted to seclude Luca, to protect him. Adrian was excited, wanted to see how people reacted, what might happen, wanted to study this ‘nimbus’. It could jump start his career to a new level.

When the nanny saw the phenomenon she rushed the babe to church. It was there that Warren, a failed divinity student who worked on campus, first saw the nimbus. Some seemed to worship the babe, while others realized that every encounter with the divine is also monstrous.

Complications arise. Adrian and Renata’s marriage is strained. Warren is pursued because of unpaid debt, hiding out on campus.

Using humor and suspense, and informed by theological thinking from across history, this original novel entertains while exploring the human need to believe.

Warren realizes that every day offers mystery in the seasons and the flow of time. We are surrounded by daily miracles.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

I really liked the concept of the book and appreciated the author's intention but the tone and writing style just weren't a great fit for me personally. I had a hard time connecting with the story but it would definitely be enjoyed by people who enjoy satire with a metaphysical flavor.

This is a strange book. The premise is that the young son of a divinity school professor at an elite university on Chicago's South Side (think U of C where the author was a divinity school student -- did not know that until after I read the book) begins to glow. The illumination is not visible to all, but becomes known and publicized creating chaos for the family and those around them. Lots of theories about what the "nimbus" (as it begins to be referenced as) is and why it is occurring with medical professionals, theologians, laymen citizens and the media weighing in. Certainly, there are themes of faith, belief and family here, but also ambition, fame and what we do in our own self-interest, even at the expense of others. I would not call this a must-read, but it was intriguing and thought=provoking. 3-1/2 stars-ish.

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. If you like a lot of higher mind concepts and big words, then this will probably appeal to you. I liked the basic story and characters who came to life for me, but I was a bit bored by about 25% of the pages and was wishing the book was a bit shorter. I was reading this for entertainment and not to be back in grad school reading dissertations. The action mostly comes near the end of the book so try to hold on. I did want an explanation for why some people couldn't see it and why the phenomenon was happening to Luca in the first place, but as the book delves into the mysterious, there are some things that none of us get answers to.

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and Holt for giving me an opportunity to read this eARC for an honest review.


I am not sure what to make of this one. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely! Was I at times confused? 100%. Did I get lost by some of the theology? Yes, for sure. Is it like anything I've read before? Not quite. This is a unique book for a number of reasons. It is quite well written, relatively funny, and at times philosophically meaningful. However, it can also be frustrating, hard to read, and feel oddly paced. I think the core of it - a glowing boy - is fascinating. The characters all find their own forms of misery, which is both hard to watch and wildly entertaining. The religious overtones make sense most of the time, and it makes for a very entertaining read. All in all, I am happy to have read this and can recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Holt for the early reader of this book.
For all intents and purposes, this book fits so many of my qualifications for a book I’d like- family issues and a little bit of magic. I did very much enjoy this book, but like so many books it dragged a little in the middle. Loved that it was set in Chicago. Loved all
the considerations surrounding religion at the divinity school. At the end of the day this book really answers the question about what humans are willing to do when they believe they are encountering something superhuman.

What a fascinating tale with lots of unexpected twists and turns. This could be considered a page tuner. Robert Baird has delivered a well-developed storyline with a concept that is highly unusual.

A professor of religion at a small campus in Chicago is a regular guy, with a family, two boys and a wife that is a bit resentful as she is saddled with more of the childcare then he is. Kinda typical, but he does try and she supported him to get his PhD and therefore she is a bit over it, but she does love him.

The story, which I don’t want to give away as it will spoil the read, is steeped in deep discussions about religion and signs, meaning about how one deals with God. Except everything is changing for our professor Adrian Bennett as one day he sees his little son glowing with a head Nimbus. That’s all I am going to say.

It is a wild story with so many crazy characters - I almost read it in one sitting. It is well researched, almost like taking a class, but more fun.

A two year old boy, Luca, spontaneously begins to glow. It is a soft glow, translucent, framing him in light and is wispy, rustling around him. This is the Nimbus. Normally this premise would be right up my alley so I was excited to start reading. Although I ultimately enjoyed the novel I found it arduous to get through it. There is quite a bit of religious history from different faiths. I don’t mind that so much as I am a Christian and enjoy religious history. What was cumbersome was the language. Many of the religious references were so obscure that I had to spend time looking them up if I wanted to understand the context. In addition to that the author has an extensive vocabulary. So extensive that there were words I had never encountered before. I don’t mind seeking definitions for words I am unfamiliar but when having to do this and google the religious references it just became too much. It slowed down the pace of reading. I wonder sometimes why authors choose particular words not commonly used when there are synonyms that are more easily recognized. Setting these issues aside, I did enjoy the characters who were fleshed out extremely well, the family dynamics, and how those who were exposed to the Nimbus reacted to it. It was an interesting concept to explore. Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt Publishing for the opportunity to read this.

The Nimbus reminded me a lot of Kevin Wilson's "Nothing to See Here" infused with the dense, dry humor of Terry Pratchett. The magical realism (a child begins to have a literal radiant glow) is fairly mild; the real star of the show is the trenchant wit and banter between characters. If you're someone who likes witty writing, this may be a good title for you, but I personally struggled to engage with the actual story as I found the writing simply too much.

What a treat to have the chance to read The Nimbus. It was a story unlike anything I had read before. I connected with the themes of family and faith throughout the book. The writing is brilliant and the storytelling fantastic. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Truly a unique book I won’t soon forget. This reminded me so much of THE LEFTOVERS. There’s a lot in this book about faith versus fact, mass delusions, egotistic academics, and the cost of believing in the unexplained. I really loved this one.

I was intrigued by the book synopsis describing the metaphysical aspect of the storyline. However, this was a DNF for me – I gave up at 35 percent when I found myself skipping over slow-paced, tedious paragraphs. The writing style was overly verbose and pedantic. I found the characters uninteresting and unsympathetic. The one redeeming quality of the novel was the challenging vocabulary that kept me investigating unfamiliar words.

I am sure there are others who will find this novel gratifying, but it was not a match for me, and I do not recommend it.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This was a good book! It was so entertaining to see how all the characters reacted to the glowing, or the Nimbus, and also how those who could not see the glow were reacting. It did make you think, it had some religious themes, and it was very well written!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

This was a wonderfully done novel, it had that element that I was expecting from the genre. The characters had that feel that I wanted and enjoyed the satire element to these characters. Robert P. Baird wrote a great story and was hooked with how good everything was.