This is a fiction by
Marilynne Robinson. It was
nominated for the 2007 National book award. The story is perfectly set in the late 1950's in Gilead which is a small rural town in Iowa.
Robert Boughton is a retired and aging minister who is in poor health. His youngest daughter Glory Boughton (38) has returned to her home town to care for her father on the edge of dying. She is still to regroup from the failure of a so called longstanding
relationship and her sinking dreams of home and marriage. Being tidied after the supper, she would say to herself that she is 38 years old. She had secured a master's degree. She was teaching English for high school since 13 years. She was a good teacher. Sometimes she thinks about what could have gone wrong in the life despite being loyal to the society, her parents and not the least to herself. She still thinks it is a burden for her parents that she has been in their house.
Jack is Robert Boughton’s most beloved son. Even he returns home who had left home in search of peace twenty years ago. He returns with a mind of forgiveness, refuge with his father and the society which he left for twenty long years. But he came back with a reputation of being a thief and a scoundrel. Both son and daughter unravel their personal stories slowly.
The simplicity of the entire novel is knotted with tension, conflicted and heartwarming emotions. More of these with love towards their family members. They slowly build a relationship among them while caring for their Father. Whole story is anchored around the son and his relationship with his Father. His father is a forgiving, kind and graceful man. So the father is delighted to have his son back home and wants to settle his worries and concerns. Still he is concerned about Jack's restlessness and his troubling behavior. Even this turns finally when his son leaves again and tries to be out of reach of help.
Robert thanked God each and every day of his life even though he found only grief and sorrow. People see something beautiful in a child and most of the time lives for that. What if the child becomes a man who has no respect on the person as well as self respect? All the dreams go in vein. The condition of Robert Boughton was not much different from the one stated above. Even the love and patience he had on his son did not do the justice. He is counting his final days and still, I repeat still his son was unable to understand the importance of father. He was in no mind to return home once he ran away from the home again. The whole story is viewed around the characters in a home and the sentiments and feelings in a family.
Author points out the imperfections of a man. The pain, strength and beauty of unconditional love between a father and children. Every kind of bonding in a home is explained neatly and in detail.
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