Lila (Oprah's Book Club)
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- £12.99
Publisher Description
A new American classic from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Gilead and Housekeeping
Marilynne Robinson, one of the greatest novelists of our time, returns to the town of Gilead in an unforgettable story of a girlhood lived on the fringes of society in fear, awe, and wonder.
Lila, homeless and alone after years of roaming the countryside, steps inside a small-town Iowa church—the only available shelter from the rain—and ignites a romance and a debate that will reshape her life. She becomes the wife of a minister, John Ames, and begins a new existence while trying to make sense of the life that preceded her newfound security.
Neglected as a toddler, Lila was rescued by Doll, a canny young drifter, and brought up by her in a hardscrabble childhood. Together they crafted a life on the run, living hand to mouth with nothing but their sisterly bond and a ragged blade to protect them. Despite bouts of petty violence and moments of desperation, their shared life was laced with moments of joy and love. When Lila arrives in Gilead, she struggles to reconcile the life of her makeshift family and their days of hardship with the gentle Christian worldview of her husband which paradoxically judges those she loves.
Revisiting the beloved characters and setting of Robinson's Pulitzer Prize–winning Gilead and Home, a National Book Award finalist, Lila is a moving expression of the mysteries of existence that is destined to become an American classic.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
With its poignant themes of love and redemption, this family drama is beautifully told and profoundly moving. The third of Marilynne Robinson’s novels set in the fictional town of Gilead, Iowa, unveils the tumultuous backstory of Lila, the wife of pastor John Ames. Growing up homeless with the woman who rescued her from her abusive parents, Lila is living a scrappy and nomadic life when she encounters the much older minister after wandering into his small-town Iowa church one day. Marrying John Ames changes her surroundings, but it’s his kindness that changes her world. Lila’s compelling story explores spirituality and skepticism in a wonderfully personal way. Narrator Maggie Hoffman’s rich performance grounds Lila’s remarkable story of transformation, making both her troubled memories and newfound security feel stunningly real. We didn’t want to stop listening to this inspiring tale of heartache and atonement.
