First published 2009
Irene and Val find love in the small Oklahoma town of Wideland in the early 1900s. They create a home together and welcome neighbors Bertha and Joseph to share their land. The couples raise their children side by side as Wideland grows around them. Irene and Val have two daughters while Bertha and Joseph raise one girl of their own. The families face the struggles that come with economic hardship and social change. People are born, age, and die as the decades pass. Through joy and loss, the characters discover they must live with courage and grab every moment of happiness they can find. The narrator guides readers through what she calls this strange and beautiful life story. Cooper writes in the rhythms of Southern speech and creates a portrait of ordinary Americans pursuing their dreams. The families learn that no matter their age or circumstances, they can still chase what matters most to them. Their story reveals that while life passes quickly, it also offers endless possibilities for those willing to embrace them fully.
Genres: family-life, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: found-family, ordinary-people
Setting: Oklahoma, Wideland
Period: Early 1900s
336 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday