Thursday, October 2, 2008

Home by Marilynne Robinson (a review)

Home: A Novel
4 out of 5: In Home, 38-year-old Glory Boughten returns to her childhood home to care for her dying father, a retired Presbyterian minister. Not long after Glory’s arrival, her wayward brother Jack arrives after a twenty-year absence. By returning home, Glory and Jack are fleeing unhappy pasts and confronting inner turmoil. Robinson shows Glory and Jack reconnecting in slow, weighty dialog that emphasizes just how serious things are. The story is filled with religious discussions, regretful confessions, and also plenty of forgiveness. Movements are small, comments are oblique, and nothing much happens. Eventually, a secret is revealed about Jack, but, by that point in the story, we realize Home is not about what happens. Instead, it’s about revealing the meaning of this life by understanding where we come from. This is a beautiful, contemplative book.

1 comment:

Sandra said...

I look forward to reading this. It's nice to know there are authors you can trust to write well so you don't even have to think twice about whether you'll read their new work or not.