Home to Stay

Whoever said April comes in like a lamb and out like a lion wasn’t kidding, but I always forget that May comes roaring in like a lion and flaming out like a dragon. Last week was finals (thankfully, I’m down to one class this semester), and this next weekend is my graduation. Woo hoo! I still have other projects I’m working on for the summer and the next semester, so no rest for the wicked. I am posting a bunch of reviews today, though some of these books were read well over a week ago. First up is Marilynne Robinson’s Home, which is a sequel/companion to her wonderful Gilead.

This time, Home focuses on the Boughtons, specifically Robert Boughton’s youngest daughter Glory and the infamous prodigal son Jack. The events echo John Ames’ depiction in Gilead, though this time, the Boughtons’ backstory takes the front seat. Jack’s own lost years are brought into focus, as are Glory’s. Glory has a heartbreaking past of her own, and she is able to understand Jack as an adult in a way that makes his own transgressions seem more human and more pitiable. To say anymore is to give the story away, and if you haven’t read Gilead yet, I don’t want to spoil it for you.

If you’ve read Gilead and liked it, I believe you’ll like Home, as well. It’s a great exercise in perspective, and it enriches the story of the Ames and Boughton families. Robinson is a great writer, and she develops an interesting character study through both Glory and Jack.