A child of a professor at divinity school is suddenly emitting a soft, radiant glow. Called a tragicomedy, I couldn’t resist seeing what this story was all about.

At first, I thought this was going to be more sci-fi or fantasy-directed than it was. Instead, I was pleased that it took the route of a family with a child who has a unique gift. So begins a quest to find out why little Luca glows, what they call “the nimbus.”

Since his father, Adrian Bennett, happens to be a professor at a divinity school, much of the research takes a theological approach, encompassing all religions, which is interesting, but it does become somewhat textbookish.

Aside from the metaphysical or spiritual event, the characters were well done. We saw how this gifted child had a significant impact on Adrian and his wife, as well as his grad assistant, Paul. These characters and their dynamics are what held my interest. Things get messy in this domestic triangle. While we heard from Luca’s brother, we never got inside Luca’s experience - I know he is very young, but that would have been intriguing.

The ending brings some suspense and action, as Adrian and his cohorts plan something weird and maybe ritualistic for Luca. And then there is a big speculative question we are left with, which leaves you with much to ponder.

Reading this as a fun, escape read was entertaining, but I won’t overthink it; I'll enjoy the idea of the extraordinary.


🎧 The audiobook was great to pair with the physical copy. Narrated by André Santana, he had the perfect voice for this story. He brought humor and sarcasm at the right moments. It was a great listening experience.


3.5🌟

Thank you @dreamscapemedia for the gifted audiobook via #NetGalley.

I kind of regret listening to this on audio.

No, the narration wasn’t bad. I thought André Santana did a phenomenal job with the material, so much so that I’ve added a couple other books he’s narrated to my Libro.fm wishlist.

It’s just that The Nimbus was packed full of fascinating discussions and observations regarding religion and belief, and it was information I wanted to digest carefully, maybe even underline and take notes on. That’s not to say that this stinks of high brow exclusiveness. I think the content is accessible and thought provoking.

I’ll admit I was, at first, put off by how little of this focused on Luca, the glowing child, but that’s just a matter of flawed expectations. I eventually realized the central theme demanded the spotlight shine upon the other characters. The Nimbus examines how human beings are affected by what they can or cannot see, and what they believe about that. This can only be captured through other people, not through a shiny, happy little boy completely unaware of his power.

The Nimbus is a multifaceted tragicomedy, and it is not necessary for you to care about religion to enjoy this. You only need to have a curiosity about people and the driving force behind where their faith (or lack thereof) might take them.

I am immensely grateful to Dreamscape Media, Henry Holt and Co., and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

I adored the concept of <i>The Nimbus</i>, where a family's ordinary life is upended by the extraordinary event of their toddler's sudden luminescence. Is it a medical condition? A religious phenomenon? Much of the book wades through these questions as it examines the different ways that various characters react to — and ultimately change from — such a strange occurrence.

As a debut book for Robert P. Baird, <i>The Nimbus</i> delivers a lot to love, even if it does have a couple stumbles in its delivery. I appreciated the philosophical musings, though the novel does take some persistence and mental calisthenics to wade through. Though there is some element of suspense, I found that the pacing sometimes sags, and while it is compelling, I wouldn't consider it a page turner. A bit esoteric at times, <i>The Nimbus</i> will land best with those who like speculative fiction, literary fiction, and metaphysical thought. I appreciated seeing the deep degree to which some characters were affected, though I wished for a deeper look into young Luca's own experience and outcome.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media, NetGalley, and Robert P. Baird for an advance copy for honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Nimbus is an inventive look at how a child's mysterious, spontaneous glowing properties can have amazing repercussions in his family, and with the novel take on how it can stir up trouble in the academic world of divinity school. Many of these types of phenomenon stories lean heavily into medical and scientific fields, but after quickly ruling out any health issues for the child or those around him, this moves solidly into a revisiting of Biblical phenomena and faith healing movements. It's also does a great job exploring the ramifications, especially on his mother who can't see the glow and is less gung ho on doing something with it as the father, as well as his brother and others around. It's an interesting take and well-executed.

The Nimbus by Robert P. Baird was a great idea in theory but the execution fell flat for me. It was well written, and the plot concept was great, but the execution fell flat for me, because of its ambiguity. But, if you don't mind the ambiguity presented in The Strange Case of Jane O, then you will love this book.

The Narration by André Santana was stellar, bring all characters to life and giving them each their own unique voice. I will be looking for him as a narrator in the future.

Thank you Henry Holt & Company | Henry Holt and Co. and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read this ARC and listen to the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4 Stars
Pub: Jun 10 2025

#HenryHoltandCompany
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I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this one, but the blurb had enough going on that I had to give it a try. I typically like books set in a University. This one was very good. It was a great balance of heady thinking about life, religion, and the point of it all with some great human characters that I really found myself rooting for. Baird has written a lot of words in his professional life, but as a debut novel, I thought this was phenomenal. I hope it isn't his last. Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the review copy.

This was a fairly entertaining book, but I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it.

I thought the narration was great. The pacing was good, and I was able to listen to it at a quicker speed than normal without missing anything.

Out of nowhere, a 2-year-old boy starts to glow sporadically. The family refers to this glow as "the nimbus." The book follows more of what is happening in the background with the family of the boy, and the society around them.

I feel like there is a trend lately with these speculative fiction books with something interesting happening in the foreground that isn't entirely explained, but the book is more about what is happening in the background or the past. I would compare this to books like Shark Heart and Blob. I found the story interesting with how society reacted, and religion was immediately brought into the conversation.

It did leave me with a lot more questions than answers.

I unfortunately decided to not finish this one at 34%.

I don't necessarily have anything bad to say about The Nimbus, but I had trouble staying engaged with this audiobook. The writing was gorgeous in a way that it lulled me into a stupor and had me forgetting to pay attention, and the narrator's voice was a bit sleepy in that way as well.

I think I would be better off physically reading this one, which I may end up doing in the future.

I appreciate the opportunity I was given to listen to this ALC!

I’ll be honest, I had high hopes for The Nimbus. The premise is imaginative and thought-provoking, and it’s clear the author’s vision has resonated strongly with many other listeners. Unfortunately, it just didn’t land for me.

I found the writing style overly ornate, which made it difficult to stay engaged with the story or connect with the characters. Despite my efforts, I found myself struggling and ultimately chose to stop listening around the halfway point.

That said, I don’t think it’s a bad book, just one that didn’t align with my preferences. I If you enjoy dense, poetic prose and ambitious storytelling, this might be a better match for you.

Divinity School professor Adrian Bennett was having an ordinary day on campus with his two-year-old son, Luca, in his office. Out of nowhere, his son begins to emit a strange light, and well, glows. There’s no explanation, and even more puzzling is that the glow comes and goes and is not visible to everyone. They begin to call it the nimbus, reminiscent of previous saints and religious figureheads that have reportedly had a glow in the past. Adrian tasks his graduate student, Paul, to make this the subject of his dissertation, much to the disapproval of Adrian’s wife, Renata. This sets forth an intersecting timeline of tragedy, religion, and family.

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this novel. The premise was undoubtedly intriguing, particularly the metaphysical realism aspect. I was surprised that the book was less about the nimbus itself, or even Luca himself, but about the chaos and calamity that the nimbus imposes on everyone else; what’s more is that it is a book about divinity without being specifically religious. And despite this being a debut novel by Robert P. Baird, that level of mastery was so artfully done. It’s not every book that makes me stop and ponder or even recommend to others immediately, but this one did for me. I listened to the audiobook version, and narrator André Santana kept me enthralled through the entirety of the book by striking the balance of humor, despair, heartbreak, and satire. This is a novel I’ll be recommending to everyone!

Reviewed as part of #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to Dreamscape Media/Henry Holt Books for the opportunity to read and review.

Read this book if you like:
🧠 intellectual debut novels with beautiful prose
🌀 metaphysical realism, mixed with religious undertones in a secular age
🏡 complex family dynamics

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This review will be posted to Instagram @AutobiographiCole around June 25.

The Nimbus by Robert P. Baird is a decent read. It's got some interesting sci-fi concepts and the world-building is pretty good. The concept of a glowing child was cool. Some parts felt a bit slow, but I think it's still engaging enough to keep reading. Overall, it's a decent debut. If you're into sci-fi and adventure, you might enjoy it. Not mind-blowing, but it's a solid 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the Advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date : 6.10.2025

What if a miracle happened today? Not a large miracle like world peace, but a small one wherein a toddler occasionally glows with an inner light. This is that story. Because it happens to the younger son of a professor of divinity, there are many conversations about the miraculous. Many can see the glow but his mother cannot - so we get the believers vs non-believers. It reminded me of those who could see the image of Jesus on a piece of toast and those who could not. And there’s more: what happens to people who come into the presence of the glowing toddler (the nimbus), to the couple’s marriage, etc. The novel is curious and intellectually stimulating, if the plot and action is less so. Nevertheless, it’s an accomplished first novel.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @DreamscapeMedia, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobook for review purposes. It is currently available.

The Nimbus is an example of a book where the premise is better than the execution, in my opinion.

It starts off strong: A boy begins to glow with no explanation. Not everyone can see the nimbus, but those who do find their lives changed after the experience. I went in expecting something like Kevin Wilson's Now Is Not the Time to Panic, but Baird has written the book in a way that meanders through philosophy and religion, in highbrow language that doesn't really seem to fit the tone of the book. Ultimately, I think I was just a bad match for this one from my expectations.

The narration is excellent and those who are interested in the story will find the audio version well produced and worth a listen.

This is the novel that the academic theology geeks have been waiting for! So much fun!



Review copy provided by publisher.

Couldn't handle the smarmy tone, wasn't clear if it was trying to be funny. Also not sure why it was necessary to include the "ew, Marxism" virtue signaling at the beginning.

Unfortunately I will be DNFing early on at only 1 hour in. The premise of this book sounded extremely interesting, and it has gotten good reviews from others, I just find the writing to be quite pretentious and it makes it hard for me to be engaged in the story. I wish that there was an option to not leave a rating as I do not wish to leave a low rating, but unfortunately the book and I did not mesh.