Consider reading this book

I just finished reading Run by Ann Patchett. Run was selected as the Relief Society book group pick, in sort of a round-about way, starting as the pick for the Real Simple No Obligation Book Club pick in October 2008. Rosemary, one of the women in our group read the book after its appearance at the RSNOBC, and then recommended it to the group. She said the book had a lot of topics we could discuss, and I agree with her.

The main arc of the story takes place over a twenty-four hour period (and no, Clint, it doesn't have anything to do with terrorism), in which a woman pushes a young man out of the way of an oncoming car. The woman is hit and taken to the hospital while her eleven-year-old daughter is cared for by the young man's family. The rest of the story observes the process of caring for the girl and the mother, and flashbacks into the lives of the two families.

In the process of telling the story, the book presents several issues, including black vs. white, rich vs. poor, social conscience in concept vs. action, the meaning of family--especially the roles and influence of mothers and fathers, the responsibility of family, familial expectations and obligations, religion and spirituality, and nature vs. nurture. (Whew!) This may be part of the reason I enjoyed the book so much; I most thoroughly enjoy books, television shows, and movies that leave me with unresolved cosmic questions that I can later tease at until I find my own resolution.

There is a pull in storytelling to wrap things up "neat and tidy" at the end that the book fights against, if sometimes unsuccessfully. (Iincidentally, that pull is one of my--albeit few--complaints with the television show Heroes). But even if the ending is too neat and any degree of implausable, the story is engaging and capitvating, and very worth the investment.

If you have read the book, or if you decide to come back after you have read the book (I would love to chat about it!) please don't spill the plot in the comments. :)