Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

Housekeeping is a novel by Marilynne Robinson, the author of Gilead. If I understood the hype around Gilead correctly, fans of Housekeeping waited a quarter of a century for Robinson to come out with her second novel. After reading Housekeeping, I can see why her fans were eager for more.

Housekeeping is set in and around a fictional town and lake named Fishbone in Idaho. However, as a reader who ain't never been there (they tell me it's nice) with regards to Idaho, a little bit of research shows that Lake Fishbone seems to bear similarities to the real Lake Pend Oreille, meaning that the town is likely Sandpoint. (Sure enough, that's where Robinson grew up.)

The book tells the story of Ruthie and her sister Lucille, through the eyes of Ruthie. When the girls are orphaned, they move in with their grandmother. Then, after she dies, they eventually have their aunt Sylvia as a guardian. Their relationship with Sylvie forms the main plot of the book. Sylvie had lived as a "drifter" after moving away from home, and it remains to be seen whether or not Sylvie's "housekeeping" will be stable enough to meet the needs of the girls, and the expectations of the community.

And that's just it. Sylvie can be in tune with the beauty of nature, but what good is that? The book is beautifully written, and full of phrases and interesting ways of putting things that make you think. (For example, "his mortal and professional careers ended...") Themes include water, resurrection, life, loss, and memory. Like the lake, at times it can be deep, but that's what the pause and rewind buttons are for.

One other theme that I saw in the book was the whole idea of civilization, or at least society. Who is civilized? Does it have anything to do with keeping a house? Who isn't? What attitudes does civilization view as a threat, and how does it react to such perceived threats?

I really enjoyed this book. It may compete with Mercy Among The Children as my favourite fiction of the year. It's not light reading, so stay away if you prefer fluff. But I think it's worth the effort. Four and a half stars (out of five).