I’m John’s wife, and appear to have been delegated to play tag for him… I read Gilead on a friend’s recommendation and was glad to have done so. I found it well-written, with a lot left unsaid in the gaps between the words (which suits me fine!). I had a powerful sense of place and of the characters and of their relationships, especially between the two Jacks and Lila. The characters of those three were beautifully drawn, and the younger Jack a masterly study in qualities and shortcomings living side by side in one, constantly undercutting each other. It’s also rare to read such a positive, inspiring and authentic portrayal of a marriage and the changes it accomplishes in the spouses.

My gripe is that the tone was a bit too uniform, or slow, for me. I prefer a little more variety or zip. I don’t doubt that Robinson has done exactly what she meant to do - a ruminative account by an elderly man - but it’s not quite me. I’d be keen to read another by her because I think she is a very, very talented writer, but “Housekeeping” is the only other one I’ve heard of and it looked a bit bleak for me…