John Ames, a 76-year-old preacher, is writing a letter to his 7 year-old son. A letter that will remain after his ailing heart has stopped. As John writes his life unfolds - walking side by side with his father and his grandfather - preachers before him.
This is a story of a man looking back on his life and remembering all the parts that made him who he was. John grew up and lived his life in a small Iowa town - surrounded by the stories of his grandfather the wild abolitionist preacher and his father who didn’t want to rock the boat.
At the moment when John is called on to rock the boat - he falters and allows a racism to continue that his grandfather had fought to stamp out.
It's a thought provoking and difficult read. I had a hard time staying with this. I kept looking for the story. But, this really isn't a story - it's a reflection on a life relived for the benefit of the next generation. Have we learned - or are we doomed to continue making the same mistakes???
Book club book for April
04/07
No comments:
Post a Comment