Lila by Marilynne Robinson is a contemplative novel that delves into the life of the titular character, Lila, a woman who has faced neglect, abuse, and struggles throughout her life. The story follows Lila's journey from being rescued as a child by Doll, an itinerant worker, to her unlikely marriage to the elderly Reverend John Ames in the town of Gilead, Iowa. Through a blend of stream of consciousness narrative and flashbacks, the book explores Lila's internal struggles, her complex relationship with Reverend Ames, and her quest for love and redemption amidst a backdrop of poverty, loneliness, and religious contemplation.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of poverty, childhood neglect, sexual exploitation, mental health struggles, and reference to violence.
Has Romance?
Yes, there is a prominent romance in Lila, particularly the developing relationship between Lila and Reverend Ames.
From The Publisher:
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST
NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK
"Marilynne Robinson's LILA is an enthralling meditation on belief, suffering and grace." -O, the Oprah Magazine
"Writing in lovely, angular prose that has the high loneliness of an old bluegrass tune, Ms. Robinson has created a balladlike story . . . The novel is powerful and deeply affecting . . . Ms. Robinson renders [Lila's] tale with the stark poetry of Edward Hopper or Andrew Wyeth. - The New York Times
Grade: A Emotionally and intellectually challenging, it's an exploration of faith in God, love, and whatever else it takes to survive." -Entertainment Weekly
A new American classic from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gilead, Marilynne Robinson returns to the town of Gilead in an unforgettable story of a girlhood lived on the fringes of society in fear, awe, and wonder.
Marilynne Robinson, one of the greatest novelists of our time, returns to the town of Gilead in an unforgettable story of a girlhood lived on the fringes of society in fear, awe, and wonder.
Lila, homeless and alone after years of roaming the countryside, steps inside a small-town Iowa church-the only available shelter from the rain-and ignites a romance and a debate that will reshape her life. She becomes the wife of a minister, John Ames, and begins a new existence while trying to make sense of the life that preceded her newfound security.
Neglected as a toddler, Lila was rescued by Doll, a canny young drifter, and brought up by her in a hardscrabble childhood. Together they crafted a life on the run, living hand to mouth with nothing but their sisterly bond and a ragged blade to protect them. Despite bouts of petty violence and moments of desperation, their shared life was laced with moments of joy and love. When Lila arrives in Gilead, she struggles to reconcile the life of her makeshift family and their days of hardship with the gentle Christian worldview of her husband which paradoxically judges those she loves.
Revisiting the beloved characters and setting of Robinson's Pulitzer Prize-winning Gilead and Home, a National Book Award finalist, Lila is a moving expression of the mysteries of existence that is destined to become an American classic.
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1 comment(s)
I fell in love with this book. I am not a religious person, but this book addresses religion in a way that anyone can appreciate. Lila comes from a drifter's background; an orphan stolen from her family by Doll, a tough but loving woman, she never knew so much as what time or day it was, much less what it means to be Christian. Doll stole Lila because the little girl was being neglected to the point of death. An event described late in the novel leaves Lila separated from Doll and the rest of their patched together family of drifters, and she wanders into Gilead and John Ames' life. Together, Lila and John (her "old man") start a life together that each feels is precarious and could end at any time. Lila, barely literate, and John, a religious scholar, start a discussion on faith, trust, and salvation.
The book is told in third person omniscient (and Robinson is in absolute control of every carefully placed word), but there are moments when Lila's personality breaks through. I laughed out loud when John corrects Lila's pronunciation of Job; she calls it "job, since that is exactly how it is spelled." Lila is a reticent character but she has that edge to her that peeks out once in a while. Anyone not reading Marilynne Robinson is missing out on a master of elegant prose and one of the greatest living American writers.
What can you read after
Lila?
About the Author:
Marilynne Robinson is the author of the novels Home, Gilead (winner of the Pulitzer Prize), and Housekeeping, and the nonfiction books, When I Was a Child I Read Books, Mother Country, The Death of Adam, and Absence of Mind. She teaches at the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop.
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