Crossing to SafetyCrossing to Safety
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1937 two young couples meet in Madison, Wisconsin, and become friends for life: Larry and Sally Morgan, poor and hopeful, and Sid and Charity Lang, rich, generous and, in Charity's case, controlling. Decades later, Larry, now an old man, returns to the Langs' summer home in Vermont because Charity is dying, and remembers their friendship, its joys and its strains.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It's a quiet, beautiful novel about friendship and marriage, and many readers call it their favorite book.
You'll love it if you liked
Angle of Repose
Gilead
Olive KitteridgeGood to know
There's very little drama by most standards. Illness, including Sally's polio, is central.
By the numbers
- Readers72 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller18 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #154 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #388 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1311 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by Wallace Stegner
If you like this, read next
The Color Purple
The Caine Mutiny
East of Eden
I, Claudius
A Room of One's Own
The Winds of WarExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Crossing to Safety worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #1,311 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Crossing to Safety about?
In 1937 two young couples meet in Madison, Wisconsin, and become friends for life: Larry and Sally Morgan, poor and hopeful, and Sid and Charity Lang, rich, generous and, in Charity's case, controlling. Decades later, Larry, now an old man, returns to the Langs' summer home in Vermont because Charity is dying, and remembers their friendship, its joys and its strains.
How long does it take to read Crossing to Safety?
About 8 hours (327 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Crossing to Safety?
If you liked it, try Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson or Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.