A spare yet eloquent, bittersweet yet inspiring story of a man and a woman who, in advanced age, come together to wrestle with the events of their lives and their hopes for the imminent future.
In the familiar setting of Holt, Colorado, home to all of Kent Haruf’s inimitable fiction, Addie Moore pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they naturally have known of each other for decades; in fact, Addie was quite fond of Louis’s wife. His daughter lives hours away in Colorado Springs, her son even farther away in Grand Junction, and Addie and Louis have long been living alone in houses now empty of family, the nights so terribly lonely, especially with no one to talk with.
Their brave adventures – their pleasures and their difficulties – are hugely involving and truly resonant, making Our Souls at Night the perfect final installment to this beloved writer’s enduring contribution to American literature.
Every once in a while you read a book that truly strikes a chord with you. Some could even say it might be a life changing book. For me, this book is one of those rare books. I read it as part of my commitment to reading books before I see the movie or TV show based on them, and I have never been so glad that I followed that rule.
Our souls at night is an amazing book, it really speaks to the human condition and just how do we cope when life as we know it blows apart. Two people in their golden years find companionship, fondness and love by just needing someone to talk to, the desire for companionship. It truly to me speaks out, we as people are social creatures. Sure, some of us would rather be alone, or we all go through times where it is easier to be alone, but at the end of the day we all need someone to talk to. We need something to hold onto and to keep us grounded in life. When our kids grow up and move out, when our beloved spouse of long years passes away, what happens. So many end up ghosting through life after events, or worse. The night hours, the long dark nights when everyone else is asleep can often be the worst. Our souls at night examines that corner of who we are as people, when many books and stories turn away. I don’t want to give the full plot away, but I have to say read it. Read it and know that no matter how things are, no matter how alone we feel there are ways to find that companionship. You can start new no matter what age you are.
My Gemstone Rating:
