THE SEVEN

Stefanovic’s novel follows the seven adult children of a gravely ill billionaire who sends them on individual quests to find sculptures that best represent the concept of love.

Eighty-five-year-old widower Abraham Meyer—who has made a fortune in the diamond and hotel industries—knows that his time on Earth, and with his seven children, is coming to an end. Diagnosed with lung cancer and anxious to “make things right” with his privileged and largely sheltered kids before it’s too late, he tasks them with finding sculptures that best exemplify “the purity of love.” From his home in Jerusalem, he directs each one of his offspring to a different continent, hoping that they will all experience something transformative. Joshua, the 33-year-old loner of the family and something of an artist, travels to desolate Antarctica. Daniel looks for art in South America, Isabel in Australia, Marco in Europe, Ezra in the deserts of Africa, and so on. Each sibling receives life lessons, some gloriously life changing and others perilous. As the potential heirs to their father’s fortune learn more about themselves and what they really want to do with their lives, some of them also uncover disturbing revelations about their father and his past. Stefanovic’s yarn is powered by deep moral and existential speculation. The multiple intertwining plot threads slow down the narrative’s overall momentum in spots, but the story’s explorations of love, art, the duality of human nature, and the ultimate meaning of life are compelling. The novel, equal parts family drama and metaphorical examination of the meaning of life, is filled with memorable lines like, “Money... may give power, but art—art is the pure, raw energy of life” and “Whoever you love, you are. But if you love none... then who are you?”

A globe-hopping adventure that packs a profound philosophical punch.