Gilead, being my 3rd book of the summer, is a wonderful novel written by Marilynne Robinson. It is written as a series of fictional letters/journal entries from the dying Pastor John Ames to his 7 year old son who is never going to grow up with an earthly father in the last year or so of his life. The time frame of the story is mid 20th century, just after the 2nd World War. The letters include stories of the pastors grandfather, father, family friends and others. The pastor spends a great deal of time honestly reflecting on his life finding beauty in certain areas and admitting the difficulty of others. This 246 page letter covers all sorts of things, from dealing with anger, seeing the wonder in the small things of life, having an appreciation of Creation itself, the great question of belief, the beauty of forgiveness, thoughts on war, to the fact of existence.
Gilead is one of those books that the content is just a stepping stone to your own thoughts about life, love and the like. But at the same time, the story it portrays is told beautifully, as Marilynne Robinson offers some of the best use of language I have encountered in a very long time. Some of the theology found in the book could cause you to raise some eyebrows, but don't let that discourage you from reading it. This book does an amazing job of showing us the ups and downs of life, through the eyes of this brutally honest minister, asking questions lots of people today still have all the time. "Gilead is a quiet, deep celebration of life that you must not miss." (The Christian Science Monitor)
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