Plainsong, by Kent Haruf, is a brilliant, heartbreaking novel set in the fictional small town of Holt, Colorado. The story follows a group of people living in an isolated valley and the troubled relationships they share with each other.
At the heart of of the story is the McLain family, an aging couple struggling to keep their farm going, and the seventeen-year-old pregnant daughter they can’t bear to lose. Tom, twelve, and Ike, eight live with them, along with their elderly neighbor, Harold McPheron, whom the boys have adopted as a surrogate father. The family’s struggles are compounded when their pregnant daughter, Victoria, is abandoned by her boyfriend and ends up living with the elderly brothers.
The brothers’ stance on caring for Victoria, considering their age and limited resources, reveals their compassionate characters. Even though Victoria is quick to turn her anger on her adoptive home and family, the brothers’ patience and kindness wears it down. Through a number of small events and characters, Haruf creates an incredibly close-knit and supportive community.
The story’s emotional core lies with the idea of selflessness. Throughout the story, characters are pushed to give up more than they have, offering comfort and companionship to those in need. The town of Holt comes together around the plight of Victoria and the McLains, even though the family isn’t sure what to do.
At the novel’s conclusion, Victoria’s life has been drastically changed. She has been taken in by the community, supported by her adoptive family, and granted the opportunity to get her life back on track. As his story nears its end, Haruf captures perfectly the idea that life is connected, and the people we share it with can make it something beautiful.
Haruf’s writing style is spare yet beautiful, allowing readers to get lost in the emotionally charged narrative. Plainsong paints a vivid portrait of life in a small town, subtly communicating how the relationships people form circle around them and bind them together.
By combining a powerfully emotional story with a unique sense of place, Haruf has crafted a novel that captures the complexities of human life with subtle grace and beauty. Even after long after reading it, Plainsong’s characters and their struggles will stay with you and resonate with what life is all about.
