by Kent Haruf
First published 2013
Dad Lewis receives a terminal cancer diagnosis that changes everything for his small Colorado town family. He and his wife must navigate his final months together with their daughter's help, all while their son remains absent and estranged. The diagnosis affects more than just the Lewis household. Next door, a young girl living with her grandmother finds Dad's illness brings back painful memories of losing her own mother. A new preacher in town struggles to connect with his own family while trying to serve a congregation that grows uncomfortable when his sermons challenge their expectations. Through it all, an elderly widow and her middle-aged daughter move quietly through the community, offering comfort wherever they can. The story unfolds as these interconnected lives face mortality, forgiveness, and the ways people care for each other when everything else falls away.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: estranged-family, found-family
Setting: Colorado
Period: 21st-century
258 pages · Hardcover · Knopf
Content warnings: terminal-illness