A review by adamsockel
Plainsong by Kent Haruf

reflective sad slow-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book reminded me of Wendell Berry's writing, one of my favorite authors. It's a slow, pastoral novel about a few characters in a small, fictional town in Colorado. It's a farming community and we get various points of view from different people trying to love their lives and survive. We meet two young boys living with their father and their mentally ill mother, two curmudgeonly older brothers who own a dairy farm, a pregnant teenage girl trying to figure out her life, and a teacher dealing with the parents of a terrible student who refuse to accept he's a problem child. This type of writing may not be for everyone but the simple, small-town stories and slow pace are something I've long enjoyed. I find peace in a contained story.
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