My favorite book by this author, and one of my favorite books all-around. ( )

An absolutely captivating story. Langston, the main character, is a fascinating character who awakens from her intellectual and emotional coma to become a beautiful (though still quirky) person right before our eyes. I adored the juxtaposition of the Midwestern setting and sensibilities with the theological and philosophical musings, all adroitly woven into the fabric of the story. It's funny, it's sweet and it's smart. ( )

An interesting first novel with beautiful prose of the consequences of grief and guilt. The main characters, Langston & Amos, are often exasperating, but ultimately likeable as the story slowly draws them out of themselves and their loneliness and forces them to face the world.
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My blog post about this book is at this link. ( )

Langston and Amos are not a likely couple. They are both intellectuals who look at one another with disgust. Each are living in a small Indiana town for very different reasons. Amos is the town’s minister. He is enamored to the quirkiness and the personalities of small town life. Langston has grown up in this little burg and happily left for academic life. But, her heart was broken and her spirit soon followed. She came crawling back to home with her pride dented and her intellect bruised. She views the world around her as filled with lower life forms. Into this tension two small girls come. They have moved in with their grandmother - Amos’s parishoner and Langston’s neighbor. A terrible tragedy has brought these sisters into Amos and Langston’s lives. Unwillingly they both begin to care about these two children.
I don’t want to give too much away - but I loved this story! The title comes from a moment between Langston and her older brother. His advice to Langston is to leave the drama early - before everything falls apart. This has been Langston’s life motto. Suddenly life has changed!

03/07 ( )