I love Kent Haruf. I’m a huge fan of his books. Granted, I’ve only read two of them (this one - Plainsong - and Our Souls at Night) but both were so well done and moving, I just want to savor everything he ever wrote.

Haruf’s books, including this one, are set in the fictional small town of Holt, Colorado. Plainsong tells the stories of some of the town’s characters, including twins and their dad who were abandoned by their mom, a pregnant teen with nowhere to turn, and a couple of old farmers. Their stories come together in such a lovely way.

Haruf’s writing gives you such a strong sense of place, and the feelings of both desperation and hope. It is unassuming yet so moving, and manages to be both bleak and hopeful. The story has ugly parts, but is so beautiful overall. I just absolutely love the town of Holt, Haruf’s modest and almost sparse way of telling a story, the way he includes the perfect amount of detail so that you aren’t bogged down yet you can picture Holt so clearly, the bleak feelings created, the sanguine feelings created... all of it.

If you like reading about small town America, I highly recommend this book. Our Souls at Night is also set in Holt, and slightly more forgiving than this one, and also has a bonus Netflix movie with Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. I recommend both!