Susan Henderson (1)

Depressing. But still a very good read. Henderson managed to evoke a lot of emotions in me: sadness, empathy, a tiny bit of hope, and anger. A lot of anger, in fact, that people would blame a 14 year old boy for something over which he had no control, and let that blame grow into hate.

It’s a very quotable book. My Kindle copy is full of highlights.

I am reluctant to say that I recommend it, because I think a lot of people would find it too depressing. But it resonated with me because I was (am?) different, a little bit like Mary in some ways.
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Mary Crampton is the embalmer in her father's funeral home in the tiny town of Petroleum, Montana. She has always felt uncomfortable and "other" in the town and is putting one foot in front of the other in a sort of gray, depressive haze. Her old dream was to become an artist, but she drifts into her father's business and inertia keeps her there. She is good at her job and loves her dad, with whom she has a reliably caring, if emotionally distant, relationship. She tends to the dead with compassion, making them look their best and privately taking a button from each outfit to keep as a memento.

When Mary was a child, two young brothers attempt to clear a grain silo and the older brother, a star athlete and darling of the town, is killed. His brother, Robert is burdened with guilt and becomes the receptacle for the town's grief and blame. He leaves the town for many years and only returns when his mother is dying. A central conflict of the book arises from Robert's desire to create a funeral service for his mother when Mary's father had already taken it upon himself to make the arrangements, assuming Robert would never return. Mary and Robert, two outcasts, form a connection, although Mary's social awkwardness and her awareness of the townsfolks' disapproval, lead her to misstep in dealing with him.

This is a beautifully written book that reminds me of the quiet, striking style of Kent Haruf. The father-daughter relationship is so well-done; these two love each other, but don't express that love in the most helpful way. which leads to an outburst that changes their life together. The process of Robert's mother's dying, and the description of the memento mori photograph of his dead brother, are stunning. I was crying at the end.… (more)