Our Souls at Night

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
Fiction
2015 Knopf ebook
Finished on August 1, 2015
Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good!)





Publisher's Blurb:

A spare yet eloquent, bittersweet yet inspiring story of a man and a woman who, in advanced age, come together to wrestle with the events of their lives and their hopes for the imminent future.

In the familiar setting of Holt, Colorado, home to all of Kent Haruf’s inimitable 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.

Their brave adventures—their pleasures and their difficulties—are hugely involving and truly resonant, making Our Souls at Night the perfect final installment to this beloved writer’s enduring contribution to American literature.

Another winner by the late Kent Haruf. I started this novel back in June, but set it aside to read a month later on my flight to Oregon. I wound up reading it on the flight home and the time passed very quickly. I love Haruf's spare prose and familiar settings and quickly came to care about the characters in this gem of a book. My only complaint is that it was too short. I wanted more and was surprised when I reached the last page. (I never pay attention to my place in a book while reading an ebook!) 

Final Thoughts:

This one's a keeper and worthy of several re-reads. R.I.P. Kent Haruf. You left us at the top of your game.