On the weekend I finished up the latest mystery by celebrated Canadian author Louise Penny. It's called The Long Way Home, and yes it features Inspector Gamache, and yes it's good. As for borrowing our copy, wife Ruth first, then get in line!
We have found that this series has steadily improved through the years. In the beginning we read them because our son and daughter-in-law lived in the Eastern Townships of Quebec and we enjoyed the references to the area. With each novel Penny seemed to exhibit greater skill as a writer and shared the depth of her own thought. The novel How the Light Gets In dealt with addiction in an insightful and honest manner. I really appreciated The Beautiful Mystery, set in a monastery, even though some folk enjoyed it the least of her books.
I found The Long Way Home to be quite religious, or at least to contain a surprising number of religious references and allusions. Key to the story are the old spiritual There is a Balm in Gilead and the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. The hymn is not a personal favourite, but the novel certainly is. I'm looking forward to Robinson's new novel, Lila, to be published this Fall. Gilead is about the long way home, and Penny picks up on that theme and quotes a prayer or blessing in the story which is about courage. The storyline invites us to ponder several "sin-sick souls" in need of redemption and grace.
I won't say more or I might incur the wrath of those who look forward to reading the novel.
The Long Way Home is certainly not cloying in its religious content, nor is it overbearing in its God-talk. We are simply reminded of our brokenness and need for grace.
Are you a Penny fan? Are you okay with religious and spiritual themes in novels? Have you noticed the theme of grace in other Penny books?
3 comments:
Hmmm ... sounds like a set of books I will need to look into... thanks for the information!
"Beautiful Mystery" was the first one I read, then I went back and started at the beginning and read all of them. She just keeps getting better and better.
On the theme of grace, there was a passage in "How the Light Gets In" where Constance who has just come to Three Pines and who has disapproved of Gabri and Olivier has looked out the window in the morning to see that Olivier has dug out out her car, unasked, and that Gabri in the snowstorm has delivered coffee and croissants to villagers who couldn't make it to the bistro -- then shovelled their porches and front walks.....
Louise Penny puts out a monthly newsletter that is posted on her official website. In June, she describes her husband's recently-diagnosed dementia in the most loving terms. It is well worth reading for inspiration.
KB, Sudbury.
I think you would enjoy them Judy, and it's a pleasure to find a series where the novels get better with time.
Good to hear from you Kathy! I read the newsletter because I'd heard that Louise Penny was open about her husband's dementia. I agree that it is inspiring.
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