Discussion date: April 12, 2004

What we thought:
This is the One Book One Bedford book, selected by the Bedford Library for community reading as part of the town's 275th anniversary celebration. We liked the feeling of community evoked by the book, and especially loved the characterization of the McPheron Brothers, elderly bachelor farmers who took in the pregnant teenager. Some of us felt the sexual encounter witnessed by the two young boys was a bit excessive, but the over-all reaction to the story, characters, and writing style (except for the lack of quotation marks) was very positive.

Although most of us would highly recommend the book as a reading experience, it did not spark a discussion as lively as some of our past selections. No one rated the book lower than 4 stars, with several people giving it 4 1/2.

Links of interest:
Reading group guide
Writers on writing: Kent Haruf describes his rituals of writing blindfolded on an old manual typewriter in a converted coal cellar.
Eventide: Sequel to Plainsong (publication date: May 2004)