A few days ago, my son turned seven months. Since then, I’ve been rereading passages from Marilynne Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gilead. It’s about many big things – religion, death, separation, love.
But, to me, it is about a dying father who makes sense of his life by writing about it. In doing so, he leaves his toddler son a written record of his very personal wisdom. So, another big thing.
Gilead captures the wonder of becoming a parent like few books I have read. Above is a passage that shows Robinson’s serene treatment of the slow process of getting to know one’s child.
To hear the song ‘Go to Dark Gethsemane’ on YouTube, click here.
Related articles
- Book Review: Gilead (forthesomedaybook.wordpress.com)
- Marilynne Robinson’s sort of Christianity (thewayfaring.com)
- The Tiny Simulations of Forgotten Seasons (philadelphiareviewofbooks.com)
- Gilead (pathfindersbookgroup.wordpress.com)