Hundreds of thousands were enthralled by the luminous voice of John Ames in Gilead, Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Home is an entirely independent, deeply affecting novel that takes place concurrently in the same locale, this time in the household of Reverend Robert Boughton, Ames's closest friend. Glory Boughton, aged thirty-eight, has returned to Gilead to care for her dying father. Soon her brother, Jack--the prodigal son of the family, gone for twenty years--comes home too, looking for refuge and trying to make peace with a past littered with tormenting trouble and pain. Jack is one of the great characters in recent literature. A bad boy from childhood, an alcoholic who cannot hold a job, he is perpetually at odds with his surroundings and with his traditionalist father, though he remains Boughton's most beloved child. Brilliant, lovable, and wayward, Jack forges an intense bond with Glory and engages painfully with Ames, his godfather and namesake. Home is a moving and healing book about families, family secrets, and the passing of the generations, about love and death and faith. It is Robinson's greatest work, an unforgettable embodiment of the deepest and most universal emotions.
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"I had no idea what to expect from this book when I bought it on an impulse. It starts slow, but quickly enmeshes you in a nuanced and smart meditation on religious hypocrisy and religious practice in general, personal prejudice, what it means to be part of any family, and self-identification (among others). The action centers on a dysfunctional family that feigns functionality. The characters' actions and the primary storyline are punctuated occasionally at first, and persistently and refusing to be ignored by the end, by the tension of the racism so common in the mid-twentieth century. These moments of the bigoted reality of this time period call attention to people's use of fundamental building blocks of society--religion, close-knit community--to rationalize any type of belief or behavior. In Gilead, there is no black and white, but only shades of grey. This book makes me think and I think that quality is a must for a good read. It offers no easy answers and probably raises more questions in my mind than it answers. it does not pretend that every problem has a solution or that every question can be answered. Days after I have finished the book, I am still considering all the problems and ideas this book highlights."
— Rebekah (5 out of 5 stars)
“The gifted Maggi-Meg Reed captures the world-weary tone of the characters as life ebbs from the failing but still faithful Robert. Reed shines brightest as Glory, the daughter who comes home to care for her father. Almost as affecting is Reed's portrayal of Jack, the beat-down preacher's kid who has fallen from grace.
— AudioFile magazine, Winner of an Earphones AwardRobinson's style is old-fashioned… Maggi-Meg Reed is perfectly amenable, retreating into the audio attic and retrieving some of the creakier techniques… In writing of clergymen and faith, Robinson's prose is near-biblical; Reed's voice conveys a similar depth of feeling and simplicity of expression.
— Publishers Weekly, Starred ReviewIn the cacophony of the 21st century, listening to Marilynne Robinson's Home is a nearly peaceful oasis... Maggi-Meg Reed's narration of the story is pitch-perfect... Home is an extraordinary meditation on just what the title implies.
— Sarasota Herald-Tribune[Maggi-Meg Reed] did a wonderful job narrating... I enjoyed each of the 12 hours that I listened to the book.
— 5 Minutes for BooksHer character is one of the proofs of Robinson's immense literary talent, aided immeasurably by the reassuring tones of narrator Maggi-Meg Reed.
— Winston Salem JournalGilead is a beautiful work--demanding, grave and lucid . . . Robinson's words have a spiritual force that's very rare in contemporary fiction.
— James Wood, The New York Times Book Review on Gilead" This is my kind of book. A slow, quiet, but dense read. I love authors like Marilynne Robinson and Anita Brookner who concentrate on ordinary people, the mundane as well as the inner turmoil. Place also plays an important role. This kind of book is not for everyone. I want to listen to an NPR interview with the author to hear her talk about the religious aspect. "
— Sue, 2/13/2014" Good, solid writing, but it took me forever to get through this. It's slow and quiet (maybe too much at times) with good characterization. The ending paid off and felt satisfying, although the father's turn for the worst felt too quick as though Robinson thought, "I have to wrap this sucker up, and soon." "
— Meg, 2/13/2014" A third-person companion piece to "Gilead". The interplay between Jack and his sister Gloria is simultaneously heartbreaking and fascinating. "
— Leif, 2/10/2014" Exquisitely written. Very beautiful. Preferred it to Gilead, but both books are added to by the other. "
— Karen, 2/4/2014" So far not as good as Gilead, but that would be asking for a lot. Definitely not laundromat reading, but it was perfect for a long train ride. "
— Kateh44, 1/21/2014" Not my normal type of book...but for some reason I couldn't stop reading it. Glad I did. "
— Kathryn, 1/18/2014" More conflicted than Gilead, but then the characters are so. But just as lovely and moving. "
— Carolyn, 1/5/2014" Another wonderful book by Marilyn Robinson, but it requires a reader who doesn't care is the action is dignified and gentle. Also wonderful: Gilead. One of the great American novels. "
— Janis, 12/18/2013" Beautiful! I loved it. "
— Elizabeth, 12/14/2013" Stylistically very similar to "Gilead", it's set in approximately the same time in the same place. A bit slow-moving, but beautifully written. "
— Tom, 11/27/2013" This book was so good. It was hard to put down and it carries such a deep story. This is a thinking book and it is so good. You can't really read it when you're exhausted though, because nothing will make sense. But this is one of those books you won't easily forget. "
— Casey, 11/25/2013" Beautifully crafted, but be prepared to read a series of descriptions that take place as if in suspended animation. I found this a lot harder to progress through than Gilead. "
— Scot, 11/21/2013" Home is where we are the best or worst versions of ourselves and get away with it. Where the collective memory defines us based on who we were as a child, not necessarily who we become as adults. Yet no matter how far from home we may go, the baggage stays with us. "
— Rachel, 9/26/2013" A letdown after Gilead. Very slow going. "
— Jim, 6/22/2013" This book struggles with sin and redemption, love and grace, as tortured Jack Boughton returns to his ailing father, youngest sister, and the town of his disgraced childhood. "
— Elisabeth, 6/10/2013" did not care for the style and the story was quite slow "
— Amy, 6/1/2013" Much better, in my opinion, than "Gilead." There is more movement / plot to this work. Really a thinking person's novel, however. "
— Book, 12/25/2012" At once rending, moving, uplifting and profoundly human. Beautifully wrought. Robinson is a quiet master of her craft. "
— Ally, 12/23/2011" I liked this one better than Gilead, but I don't think I would have liked it as much if I hadn't read Gilead first. "
— Julie, 12/18/2011" Not as good as Gilead and I wish I had read it after, not before. It would have had more weight and I would have understood more, though inferring is good work. "
— Ctb, 7/8/2011" Companion to Gilead, beautiful writing, very sad but with just enough hope in it. Deals with the Boughton family as Jack returns and tries to live with his father and sister. Asks good questions about sin, child-bearing, predestination. Great characterization. "
— Sam, 6/1/2011" Not as good as Gilead "
— Ctb, 5/7/2011" I loved it. Addresses spiritual and "meaning of life" issues in a very genuine and interesting manner.<br/> "
— Dan, 4/26/2011" Simply put, this is a beautiful, sad book. As soon as I finished, I went to the library to take out another book of hers, Gilead. "
— Yweinstock, 4/20/2011" This one is a lot better than Gilead, which is written about the same people and tells the same story, but focuses on different characters. "
— Gina, 4/14/2011" I made it over half way through and felt I can't go any further. With Jack going on about how bad he is and trying to understand his desire to continue to be bad. It just seems to me that it could all be said and done with in a shorter time. "
— Cathie, 4/7/2011" I love the way Marilynne Robinson writes. She writes beautifully and honestly. Although Home has the same location and background story as Gilead, the feel of this novel is entirely different. Gilead left me with hope, and (warning: somewhat of a spoiler alert) Home left me unsettled and grieved. "
— Wendy, 4/6/2011" Robinson does it again. Do yourself a favor and read a Marilynne Robinson novel next. "
— Lauren, 3/31/2011Marilynne Robinson is the author of numerous books, including Gilead, winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award; Home, winner of the Orange Prize and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Lila, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award; and Jack, a New York Times bestseller. Her first novel, Housekeeping, won the PEN/Hemingway Award. She is the recipient of a 2012 National Humanities Medal, awarded by President Barack Obama, for “her grace and intelligence in writing.”
Maggi-Meg Reed has performed as an actress and singer both on and off-Broadway. She is a narrator of many popular audiobooks, including A Very Long Engagement and The Time Traveler’s Wife. She is the winner of several AudioFile Earphones Awards.