Marilynne Robinson - Home

Review by Corinna Christopher on show sept 2009.
American author who has had several posts as a writer in residence in various colleges and universities. Her 1st book "Housekeeping", tells the story of 2 girls growing up in rural Idaho and regarded by many as an American Classic.
Her second much acclaimed book "Gilead" has the same setting as "Home" with some of the same characters but can be read independently.
Home, is very much a book about love within a family and the complex relationships that happen. Jack Broughton, the bad boy of a family of 8 siblings, returns to his family home after an absence of 20 years. He is tormented by his past mistakes and alcoholism. In the homestead is his sister Glory who has also returned home from her unsatisfactory and failed life to look after her dying father once a local preacher but still very much a traditional patriarch.
The narrative is all about how these 2 characters Jack and Glory try to reconcile their lives and seek redemption. Jack has always been the favourite child of his father and Glory is seeking always to protect her father from the behaviour of Jack whose hold on life is fragile. He keeps disappearing for many hours and is always fighting the demon drink.
It is a sad heartbreaking tale and it is only at the end that we hear about Jacks marriage and the appearance of a wife and son, just after he has finally left the home again. One senses that maybe the son will be able to return in due course to the family home since he much interested to see where his father grew up.
This book was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for fiction this year and received much praise from the critics.
However, i was disappointed and because of the slow drawnout emotions portrayed with much self-recrimination and hand-wringing by the main persons, I was tempted to skip parts of the book.
The ending is unsatisfactory. We never really learn what happened to Jack to make him leave home in the first place and also very scant details o Glory and the fiancee who jilted her.
Perhaps the author plans another book to follow up the fates of Jack and Glory?