Lila (Oprah's Book Club)

Book excerpt: NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER Marilynne Robinson, one of the greatest novelists of our time, returns to the town of Gilead with the 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 days of suffering 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 of itinerant work. Together they crafted a life on the run, existing 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, the times they shared were laced with joy. After Lila arrives in Gilead, she struggles to harmonize the life of her makeshift family and their days of hardship with her husband's gentle Christian worldview, which paradoxically judges those she loves. Revisiting the beloved characters and setting of Marilynne Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Gilead and and Orange Prize–winning Home, Lila is a moving expression of the mysteries of existence that is destined to become a classic.