Low key and seemingly slow moving on the surface, this novel is stunningly rich with layers of entwined relationships and emotions. As novel craft, the book is a treasure trove of metaphors and Biblical parallels that you as the reader can choose to specifically ponder, or just let run as an underlying resonance under the main story. At its simplest, it’s a story of family relationships and friendships that deepen and evolve over time. Less simply, those often profound relationships are tested, but ultimately become even stronger as each character struggles and strives to keep his or her love unconditional. The two aging patriarchs, both ministers, test each other’s beliefs. Father and daughter are tested to understand each other, and understand the prodigal son who returns to the family homestead, but cannot fully disclose where he has been and what he has done while they longed to see him again.

This novel stands on its own as an ensemble character study, and as an intriguing examination of what constitutes “home”. It is also a captivating companion to Robinson’s “Gilead”, which depicts the same time period and locale, but told from the perspective of the other patriarch minister. Taken together, they are a subtly moving literary experience.