You might not be an avid churchgoer. You might never even have thought about how churches select their ministers. Upon learning that Michelle Huneven’s novel SEARCH is about a ministerial search committee, you might decide that this plotline is obviously not for you. But you might want to think again. If you’ve ever been part of a small group or committee of any type, you’re almost certain to find moments of recognition and humor in the process Huneven outlines in her book. And did I mention there are recipes?

Although SEARCH is definitely a novel, it is written under the conceit that it’s actually a memoir written by its protagonist, Dana Potowski. Dana is approaching late middle age, and she’s been an active member of her Los Angeles-area Arroyo Unitarian Universalist Community Church (known affectionately by its members as AUUCC) for more than two decades. For the majority of that time, Dana, who married relatively late in life and has no children, has been sort of cautiously involved in the church bureaucracy. She has served on numerous committees and headed up programs, but has managed to resist the pressure to get involved on the church board or (horrors!) serve as church president.

"SEARCH is an unusual and, in many ways, a surprising novel --- and it’s one that readers will want to seek out."

Dana is friendly with AUUCC’s current minister, Tom, who often accompanies her to lunch since she works as a restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times. But lately she has found his preaching and liturgy less than inspiring, to put it mildly, and has been drifting away from Sunday services. So when Tom reveals that he’s ready to pursue a new opportunity that will leave an opening at AUUCC’s helm, Dana considers that perhaps serving on the search committee will be exactly the motivation she needs to get more involved in church life again. Maybe she will find some fodder for a new memoir in the process (she would change everyone’s names, of course).

Dana, who at one point attended seminary herself before getting a staff job at the newspaper, is especially keen to find a minister whose passion for social justice and, most importantly, his sermons will inspire the entire community toward a more deeply engaged view of the world.

The problem, as Dana quickly discovers once the committee forms, is that what people find inspiring can vary wildly from person to person. The old guard nostalgically longs for a return to the classic, masterfully written sermons of Tom’s predecessor, whose long tenure is somewhat legendary. Younger committee members, most of whom are newcomers to the church, want a minister who has a deep commitment to music programs, or whose theology speaks to those from more conservative Christian denominations. One committee member, with whom Dana immediately clashes, seems caught up in identity politics, determined to bring in a younger woman of color regardless of the qualifications of others.

SEARCH is about much more than congregational politics. It’s about coming to terms with generational shifts in outlook and approach, trusting systems to work and accepting what happens if they fail, and reaching a certain point in one’s life and wondering what that life might look like had you made different choices. Since this is ostensibly a “memoir” written by a food writer, it’s also filled with delicious descriptions of food, many of the recipes for which are appended at the end of the book. SEARCH is an unusual and, in many ways, a surprising novel --- and it’s one that readers will want to seek out.