Joyce Maynard

Though set in an utterly different world—the high plains of Colorado—and a different time (closer to present days), Haruf’s lyrical, big-hearted  novel stands as an interesting companion to Time Will Darken It. Like Maxwell’s work, this one offers the portrait of a small town and a set of characters—a pair of aging bachelor brothers tending their ranch, a pregnant girl alone in the world, a sad high school teacher whose wife has left him, a pair of teenage boys in trouble—who find it difficult to tell each other what they long for and need, and, for their silence, risk missing out on love.  I love the way Haruf brings these apparently unconnected individuals together, and what their connections offer in the way of redemption.  I have gone back to this book again and again, often just before starting a new novel of my own.  I learn something new every time.