Kent Haruf sure knows how write about the common man and everyone's personal struggles in life. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of his books but fair warning. If you are the least bit depressed and have a gun in your home, this is not the book for you. There are sweet, happy moments, but they are fleeting. Plainsong and Eventide were far more uplifting, and I heartily recommend them as well.
Kept my attention but I didn't love it. Kinda a month-in-the-life of some people, day to day detail. Not a lot of plot. Can't say I hated it, can't say I loved it. And, he doesn't use quote marks, apparently.
Set in fictional Holt, Colorado, this tale is about life in a small town, the daily existence and the end of that life. The characters are those one sees in most small towns who live, work and support each other throughout the days. The Lewis family is coping with the terminal illness of Dad Lewis as best they can. He is known as Dad Lewis to almost everyone around him. A simple man, he accepts his destiny with dignity. He and his son, Frank, have not always understood each other. The story tells the reader about that aspect and how the cancer claiming Dad Lewis's life affect it.
While this is the third in the author's Plainsong series, several readers state that each of the books is a stand alone. The author is adept at outlining the lives of ordinary people. This story is one with which I can identify. I grew up near a small town but on a farm a several miles away. Like the novel's location, it was dreary at times and the people knew each other, their strengths and weaknesses. In times of crisis they often supported each other. If someone deviated from their beliefs that person could be ostracized and he or she soon left the community. I remember talking with my mother once about why good teachers left our small town. It was a rare teacher who became part of the community. Those living there took their time getting to know the teachers often too long for any relationship to develop. I live in a similar area now where the lives of ordinary people take on importance or not. Some are relished while others are ignored.
While this is the third in the author's Plainsong series, several readers state that each of the books is a stand alone. The author is adept at outlining the lives of ordinary people. This story is one with which I can identify. I grew up near a small town but on a farm a several miles away. Like the novel's location, it was dreary at times and the people knew each other, their strengths and weaknesses. In times of crisis they often supported each other. If someone deviated from their beliefs that person could be ostracized and he or she soon left the community. I remember talking with my mother once about why good teachers left our small town. It was a rare teacher who became part of the community. Those living there took their time getting to know the teachers often too long for any relationship to develop. I live in a similar area now where the lives of ordinary people take on importance or not. Some are relished while others are ignored.
Easy read.
Sweet simple story.
Sweet simple story.
