The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Baxter, Charles. The Sun Collective. Penguin Random House LLC., 2020.

Charles Baxter's novel The Sun Collective is written from the third person point of view and in the past tense. The novel is set in Minneapolis, Minnesota in an unnamed era, which starkly resembles contemporary American society.

Retiree Harry Brettigan took the train to the Utopia Mall to join his walking group. On the way, a strange looking man sat down next to him and began talking. Although Brettigan was disinterested in engaging the man, he answered his questions. When the man heard that Brettigan was ill, he told him to put a mirror in a creek or river and wash his reflection. Then he would be healed.

Later that afternoon, Brettigan had difficulty listening to his wife Alma talk about her day. Then when he realized how upset she was by the recent demolition of a local church, he started feeling guilty. He and Alma had been together so long, it was often difficult to sustain peace and contentment in their relationship. Brettigan had to admit that their life had been lucky. The only real problem they had was their missing son, Timothy. Not long after he started pursuing a career in acting, Timothy disappeared. Because the Brettigans had heard that Timothy was living on the streets of Minneapolis, they could not file a missing persons report with the police. Yet Timothy's absence often created tension between the couple.

Once the seasons changed, Brettigan and Alma took a picnic to the park. While there, Brettigan put a mirror in the creek and washed Alma's reflection. Almost immediately afterwards, Alma fainted, though Brettigan was convinced she had had a stroke. Once they finally got home, Brettigan heard his wife talking cheerily upstairs. He thought maybe she had a lover, but soon discovered that she was only conversing with their cat and dog. She insisted that something wonderful had happened to her.

Christina moved to Minneapolis not long after seeing Timothy Brettigan perform in Chicago. Convinced that something might happen between them, she followed him to his hometown. Now she was working at a local bank and feeling disillusioned. One day during yoga, she noticed a new student. She thought he looked weak and easy to manipulate, and became eager to befriend him. They went out for food after leaving the studio. His name was Ludlow, and Christina found him both strange and intriguing. When he invited her to join his activist group, the Sun Collective, Christina agreed. Her life had been so dull and uneventful, she thought Ludlow and the group might give her some excitement.

Meanwhile, Alma became increasingly desperate to find her son. She had met Christina and Ludlow through the Sun Collective, and thought they might know Timothy. She begged her husband to speak with Ludlow. Brettigan reluctantly agreed. When he got to the Sun Collective Headquarters, he demanded that the leader, Wye, tell him where Timothy was. Timothy appeared suddenly behind him. Brettigan then took his son out for food. Timothy explained everything that he had been going through, and said that the Sun Collective had saved him.

Over the course of their relationship, Christina became increasingly entrapped by Ludlow. She was also worried that he might be planning something truly violent. In an effort to liberate herself and prevent him from committing his crime, Christina intentionally crashed into a tree while driving with Ludlow. Ludlow died and Christina sustained severe injuries. In the weeks following, she felt both relieved and remorseful. She was thankful when the Brettigans invited her to live with them. She was thrilled when she and Timothy started dating. However, she remained haunted by what she had done to Ludlow, and convinced herself that she must do something drastic to prove her worth to the collective. Along with three other collective members, she stared at the sun until she was blinded. Afterwards, Timothy fell in love with her and they got engaged. Alma was pleased with the arrangement. Meanwhile, Brettigan was feeling increasingly dislocated from reality. After another walking session with his friends, he gave his cash and wallet to a man at the train station.