Everything you need to understand or teach The Angel of History by Rabih Alameddine.
This complex novel blends history, fiction, and magic realism in its narrative of a middle-aged gay man coming to grips with long-term grief. As Jacob struggles to find meaning in a troubled present haunted by the long shadows of childhood parental absence, lifelong racial discrimination, and the decades-old AIDS epidemic, he finds comfort in the unlikely alliance of Satan, Death, and a collection of watchful saints.