Our Souls At Night by Kent Haruf– audio
Book Blurb:
In the familiar setting of Holt, Colorado, home to all of Kent Haruf’s 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.
My Review: 4 stars
Our Souls At Night is a quiet read and a sentimental ode to aging. This novel has been on my list for some time and I believed it was one I’d sadly never get to. It’s a reality in a reader’s life that there are books you know you’d like to read, but will never get to them, ever. This book somehow fell into that category. Anyway, I was heading to the city, about a forty-five minute drive each way (assuming there’s no traffic) and stopped at the library to grab a new audio book. The timing was serendipitous as this title was on the audio shelf and was only three discs long. Due to obnoxious Chicago traffic on the way home, I was able to listen to it in its entirety.
I loved this story and its message. No one wants to be lonely, ever. We crave comfort, someone to talk to in the night and having someone to lie next to. There’s power in that. This book completely confirms this but all paints a stark reminder of family obligation and the push and pull those can have on us.
It was brilliant that the author references his prior books as part of the fictional story. Small town charm, beautiful writing and a calming sensibility filled the pages of this narrative. The author wrote this when he was quite ill and close to his time of passing. It was a beautiful homage to his wife. Highly recommend this one.
Quotes I liked:
I’ve come to believe in some kind of afterlife. A return to our true selves, a spirit self. We’re just in this physical body till we go back to spirit.”
-“I made up my mind I’m not going to pay attention to what people think. I’ve done that too long—all my life. I’m not going to live that way anymore.”
-“Who does ever get what they want? It doesn’t seem to happen to many of us if any at all. It’s always two people bumping against each other blindly, acting out old ideas and dreams and mistaken understandings.”
-“Who would have thought at this time in our lives that we’d still have something like this. That it turns out we’re not finished with changes and excitements. And not all dried up in body and spirit.”
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I love all of Kent Haruf’s Holt books and was so sad when he died. Great review, Lauren!
Thanks Eileen. I was too. What a soulful man and wonderful author.
This was the first book I read by Kent Haruf and I absolutely loved it. I read it in one sitting. I’m looking forward to reading some his other books.
It was such a perfect slice of life. I’ve only read one other of his, Plainsong.