“Lila” by Marilynne Robinson (U.S.)

Synopsis

Lila, homeless and alone after years of roaming the countryside, steps inside a small-town Iowa church – the only available shelter from the rain – and ignites a romance and a debate that will reshape her life. She becomes the wife of a minister, John Ames, and begins a new existence while trying to make sense of the life that preceded her newfound security.

Neglected as a toddler, Lila was rescued by Doll, a canny young drifter, and brought up by her in a hardscrabble childhood. Together they crafted a life on the run, living hand to mouth with nothing but their sisterly bond and a ragged blade to protect them. Despite bouts of petty violence and moments of desperation, their shared life was laced with moments of joy and love. When Lila arrives in Gilead, she struggles to reconcile the life of her makeshift family and their days of hardship with the gentle Christian worldview of her husband which paradoxically judges those she loves.

Readers’ reviews

I found the story really depressing. Usually, I don’t mind tough topics, but this time it was heavy going. I felt the need to stay intently focused when reading due to the stream of consciousness writing style and all the flashbacks. I did feel that the author masterfully gives us a great sense of time and place. I could feel the desperation seeping through the pages! I was relieved that there is a semblance of a happy outcome at the end, as I had really warmed to Lila and the reverend. – Nicola

I really enjoyed it as an insight to a very different time and place, and really felt that I got into Lila’s head and saw the world through her eyes. There were times when it lost me a little as it jumped around in time, but I guess that’s because the prose was following her thought patterns and stream of consciousness rather than a linear plot. The writing was beautiful and full of telling detail. – Simon

Offline Read-Along reading list (Nov 2018 – Mar 2019)

Due to a serious health challenge, Nicola was unable to organise live book club meetings for the winter season 2018-2019. Instead, she continued to choose a Book of the Month and joined other readers on our Facebook Discussion Group where they shared their thoughts with her. The books were:

“Lila” by Marilynne Robinson (U.S.)
“It’s Fine By Me” by Per Petterson (Norway)
“The Guru of Love” by Samrat Upadhyay (Nepal)
“Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi (Ghana)

Extra book:

“How to Stop Time” by Matt Haig (U.K.)