Plainsong

Plainsong Kent Haruf paperback copyright 1999 301 pages ISBN 0375705856 Ambitious, but never seeming so, Kent Haruf reveals a whole community as he interweaves the stories of a pregnant high school girl, a lonely teacher, a pair of boys abandoned by their mother, and a couple of crusty bachelor farmers. From simple elements, Haruf achieves a novel of wisdom and grace - a narrative that builds in strength and feeling until, as in a choral chant, the voices of the book surround, transport, and lift the reader off the ground. -- FROM THE CITATION FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD NOMINATION