Benediction by Ken Haruf

A gentle story about a man dying of cancer.  The scene is a small town in the mid-western part of the country.  It's a place where people go out on their front porch during a rainstorm to get a better look.  It's a place where your neighbor knows everything about you and brings you a covered dish when you are sick. 

Dad is dying of cancer.  His daughter Lorraine comes home to help Mary (his wife) cope with it all.  His son, Frank, is nowhere to be found.  Frank and his father had words many years ago and lost touch.   A little girl named Alice moves in with her grandmother who lives next door to Frank.  A new preacher comes to town with his own ideas about what's important in life.  All of these people meld together to create a homespun story about life and death.

I was particularly moved by Haruf's description of Dad's dying days.  His attention to detail is remarkable.  He is very good about bringing the reader into the story.  It's almost as if we are hearing friends talk about someone they know.

Worth reading.

Ladybookbug!