Another good book

Books that have emotional endings are my favorites. They don’t have to be sad, just touching. I love reading about people who go through ups and downs... some their fault and others not...  and still come through stronger, closer to God, or at least more philosophical. (Better… not bitter!) I prefer women characters… but every now and then, a male character fills the bill.  

Jayber Crow, by Wendell Berry, definitely fills the bill! This is the fifth book I’ve read by Berry, and all have been set in the town of Port William, Kentucky. What I love about Port William is how connected everyone is to each other and how you see that God so subtly uses imperfect lives and circumstances to ultimately draw us closer to him. Plus, I like reading one book and having characters from previous books pop up.

Anyway, Jayber became the barber of Port William and remained so for over thirty years. The book is basically his life story. He grew up near Port William and ended up enrolling in a Bible college near Lexington, but he couldn’t reconcile some of his perceived inconsistencies in the Bible, so he figured it was best not to preach and ended up in a round about way back in Port William. Jayber never lost his faith, however, and in some ways the questions he asked about the Bible and faith in general made him stronger and a more compassionate man.  

The book is all about relationships… both the ones Jayber has as well as the ones he observes from his perch as town barber. My favorites are the relationships between husbands and wives. There are some exquisite marriages in Port William and it’s inspiring to see how some husbands and wives “just click.” On the other hand, there are some bad marriages and you wonder how the couples survives together. What’s interesting is that so far, I haven’t come across a divorce in Port William. I guess marriage is for life in Port William.

You have got to read the book, if for no other reason to get to know Mattie. She was my favorite character; what a trouper! I won’t say much except she made a poor choice early on but held her head high and made the best of it. Mattie will inspire you. I’d like to be more like her.  

You’ll like Jayber too. He hits the nail on the head in terms of his observations about life; and being from a small town, he uses a lot of country analogies. This one is the best: “Faith puts you out on a wide river in a little boat, in the fog, in the dark.” But in the end, wouldn’t we rather be in the dark with faith than there without?

Comments

[Melanie Lewis]

Frances, thanks for this. I haven't read the book you're discussing, but it sounds interesting. A series you might like by Susan Howatch starts with a book called Glittering Images. The books take place just before, during and after WWII and deal with people in and around the cathedral town of Starbridge (really Salisbury, in disguise). What made me think of this series is your mention of relationships, and how God uses imperfect people (i.e. all of us!) in ministry. You might give the first one a try.
Blessings,
Melanie