Plainsong
Book description
National Book Award Finalist
A heartstrong story of family and romance, tribulation and tenacity, set on the High Plains east of Denver.
In the small town of Holt, Colorado, a high school teacher is confronted with raising his two boys alone after their mother retreats first to the bedroom, then…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Plainsong as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Told in spare, clean, beautiful prose, Plainsong picks up on similar themes to An Unfinished Life, with Haruf exploring the unlikely and supportive relationships that emerge for several members of a small Colorado town.
Most reminiscent are the McPheron brothers, elderly rancher bachelors who take in Victoria, a pregnant teenage girl. Then there is Tom Guthrie, whose depressed wife leaves him alone to raise their two boys. Told in chapters that focus on these different characters, their lives become entwined and they find paths through crisis with the help of practical strangers.
I fell in love with this book and…
From Mark's list on unlikely friendships or unexpected pairings.
First, Plainsong is beautifully written. Read it for the sheer pleasure of Haruf’s simple, sweet, elegant prose. The novel is two love stories: romantic love between two high school teachers, and the love that grows between the elderly brothers and Colorado ranchers, the McPherons, and the pregnant teenage girl they take under their roof.
From John's list on love stories that are even better than the movie.
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