Gilead

On Saturday, I finished reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. The novel takes place in 1956 in a small town in Iowa. The conceit of the book is that it is a long letter written by a 76 year old Calvinist pastor (John Ames) to his young son. John Ames is in the last stages of heart disease and will not be around to teach his son the moral lessons that a father would impart to a child over time. In the letter, written over a period of several weeks, Ames writes to his son about his own family history. Ames' grandfather, a young man living in Maine in the 1830s, had a vision of Christ bound in chains. He decided to move to Kansas, which was still a territory, in order to fight for Kansas' admittance into the Union as a free state. Ames' grandfather's tactics in the support of abolition includes violence. This is a hell of a thing, considering that the grandfather is a preacher himself. Ames' letter to his son continues the story of his grandfather, his father and that of his best friend's wayard son, who has returned home after being away for many years. The book is a lyrical exploration of the concepts of forgiveness, faith and grace. The story of the prodigal son permeates throughout the book.

When Ames sets to telling the story of his family, the book is really engaging. However, the more philosophical musings can bog down the reading. This is not a quick read, but it is worthwhile.