I liked this book for the same reason that I liked Plainsong and in so many ways this felt like the same book. That's good b/c the writing style has the same surprising simplicity. Not so good b/c it just seemed like the same thing. I even went back to read my review of Plainsong and I could literally duplicate it for this book. I probably won't read #3 in the trilogy for that reason.

Haruf, like his novels, is quietly winding his way up my favorite authors list. His books are subtle, realistic and don't spare words. His characters stick with you, and though often nothing much seems to occur you feel changed a bit after reading. there's a theme in the jacket quotes about his writing, that it's more like song, or carries it's own internal rhythm and this is how you come to be changed. Through a few hours in the quiet of the world, he's created. Leaving your cell phone, your iPad, the never ending netflix queue and settling down. Your mind falls to sync with the pace of his world and it's wonderful.