Ratings25
Average rating3.9
I love Robinson's writing.
P. 222
He cleared his throat. “So. ‘Things happen for reasons that are hidden from us, utterly hidden for as long as we think they must proceed from what has come before, our guilt or our deserving, rather than coming to us from a future that God in his freedom offers to us.' My meaning here is that you really can't account for what happens by what has happened in the past, as you understand it anyway...
Guys, this was SOOO good. I love books like this, that are chewy and rich and thoughtful and wise in funny and surprising ways. I have NOT read the other two books in Robinson's trilogy, but I certainly will. Lila is such an incredible character - scrappy, and strong, and wise in ways I didn't expect. Her relationship with Rev. Ames was so beautiful, and so absolutely true - I loved the ways they challenged each other to think and believe more. I held my breath through the last 100 pages, because I didn't want this story to end. I can't imagine this will not be on my list of favorite books of 2015.
I loved this voice, more than Gilead. I appreciated the raw authenticity of the narrator's voice– even though I fortunately have not suffered her hardships, I could put myself in her shoes and feel as if I had traveled along the road with her. There was also constant tension as I worried she would leave the best thing that ever happened to her, and a lingering curiosity as to who her parents really were, and how Doll was related to/met her originally. But perhaps it was best left a mystery; it certainly was a complete story even without the missing parts and perhaps a better one because of it.
Marilynne Robinson leaves me crying for her characters every time. Lila is no exception. How does she do it? Robinson shows all the achingly painful places in her people's lives and then shows how her characters heal each other with small acts of goodness. Is there a better preacher and a less preach-y preacher in the world than Robinson? She saves me and redeems me every time.