Plainsong

Set in Colorado in the 1980s, “Plainsong” tells the story of various Holt residents. There’s teenager Victoria Roubideaux, pregnant and homeless, taken in by two ageing, shy and somewhat taciturn cattle-farming brothers – and the changes wrought in all their lives as a result. Then there’s high-school teacher and single-father, Tom Gutherie, who has two sons, Ike and Bobby, and a second chance at romance in the shape of colleague Maggie Jones. Filled with unforgettable characters, “Plainsong” is both convincing and compelling; a glorious, eloquent waltz of a novel. ‘Like all the best novels, “Plainsong” takes you into a world that is at once real and vividly imagined. Here is a poetry of landscape, a tender and passionate evocation of ordinary people in majestic country …written with a kind of compassion that makes it ultimately powerfully uplifting’ – Niall Williams. ‘With its gentle touch and simple, precise prose, Haruf’s novel scores a direct hit on his readers’ hearts. “Plainsong” is a perfectly formed, beautifully executed piece of writing that will stay with you long after you reluctantly put it down’ – Mariella Frostrup, “Mail on Sunday”.