Jack by Marilynne Robinson

JACK

Marilynne Robinson is a writer of breathtaking ability. Her latest book, Jack, only serves to affirm this. Selected for @oprahsbookclub this year, it is the fourth in her Gilead series. 

Jack tells the story of Jack Boughton and Della Miles; both the children of religious men who fall deeply in love with one another. One is a hard working teacher and the other, a thief and vagrant. And, one is black and the other white.

The backdrop of this tale is segregated St Louis, which in many ways also feels like a character in its own right. For me, Robinson’s skill lies in her prose, her use of each and every word on the page. At times, this is a simple and beautiful tale, quiet in tone. and at others, it is a frantic, pressing and complex one. I would recommend reading the others in this series first, to experience the full and total power of Robinson’s talent. She is surely one of the greatest living writers in the world today.