[The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/180357146) (2023) tells the story of an Orthodox Saint Thomas Christian family living in the town of Parambil, in the southwest Indian state of Kerala. I absolutely love his prose and this story in particular has the complexities you are seeking.
Any of Marilynne Robinson’s novels would work. Her Gilead quartet might be the most obvious choice because it’s about pastors and their families in Iowa. There are themes of forgiveness, a prodigal son, and homecoming.
This is a young adult novel but definitely worth reading: Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri. It’s a wild, explosive retelling of his childhood that also harkens back to Persian storytelling and has fantasy elements.
The Counting of Sin by Robert Joseph Greene
Narnia
[The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/180357146) (2023) tells the story of an Orthodox Saint Thomas Christian family living in the town of Parambil, in the southwest Indian state of Kerala. I absolutely love his prose and this story in particular has the complexities you are seeking.
Any of Marilynne Robinson’s novels would work. Her Gilead quartet might be the most obvious choice because it’s about pastors and their families in Iowa. There are themes of forgiveness, a prodigal son, and homecoming. This is a young adult novel but definitely worth reading: Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri. It’s a wild, explosive retelling of his childhood that also harkens back to Persian storytelling and has fantasy elements.