Teachers guide guide your students through this books narrative and historical impact while giving them the tools to begin asking the important questions themselves. It is precisely the absence of drama that makes the book such a deep reflection of the ordinary lives that are lived all around us. Even now, thinking of endings, of the ending of this book, the kent haruf wrote our souls at night under a. Now that i know i have, you knowa limited timeit was.
In his final novel, haruf once again casts an aura of spiritual resonance over the small town of holt, colorado. This book really swept me up and moved me, and id like to page through it for a while longer before i return it to the library. Attendance at the meeting was way down, only four gals attended, but we had a spirited discussion over this short, gem of a book. I felt the ending was left unfinished and i wanted more.
Its an exquisite book made all the more poignant by. The movie is directed by ritesh batra and based on the novel with the same name by kent haruf. The beautiful poetic prose in this slim book and the theme of love of different kinds in. Mary mcbride, bookseller, will discuss our souls at night in detail with the attendees about the book. In holt, colorado, widower louis waters is initially thrown when the widowed addie moore suggests that they spend time together, in bed, to stave off. It is about intimacy the nonsexual variety that makes harufs novel so compelling, and about how two people can find a sense of.
A guide to words, ideas and phrases in night developed in collaboration with the united states holocaust memorial museum and hill and wang, the publisher of night. For the cover of our november 2017 issue, we asked jane fonda, twotime oscar winner, mother, political activist, fitness queen, book author, and wife to three dramatically different menwhat. Addie drove her car into the alley behind her neighbor ruths house, got out and went up to the back door. On multiple occasions at harufs home in salida, they discussed reading, writing, and the meaning of life, some of which outcalt writes about in the precious ordinary in our june issue. Feb 18 2020 tue finksburg large meeting room tuesday, february 18th, 2020. Addie drove her car into the alley behind her neighbor ruths house. The book is split into three sections, including a first one which alternates chapters between the time of ellies disappearance and the present and a second section that begins as laurel and floyd meet. Our souls at night is just as beautiful as harufs earlier books, albeit somewhat shorter and focused only on addie and louis vs. As with his earlier novels, our souls at night is set on the plains of eastern colorado, in the town of holt. Our souls at night is a best book club book for discussion set in holt, colorado, a beautiful story of second chances between two people who have lost their. Our souls at night is a best book club book for discussion set in holt, colorado, a beautiful story of second chances between two people who have lost their spouses. Brown bag book club discussing our souls at night by kent.
Our souls at night book pima county public library. Kent haruf died at the end of last year, leaving behind one final tale. Our souls at night is a 2017 american romantic drama film directed by ritesh batra and written by scott neustadter and michael h. The questions, discussion topics, and reading list that follow are intended to enhance your reading groups discussion of our souls at night, the final novel from. The pair have almost no relationship, but that all changes when addie tries to make a connection with her neighbor. His ode to love late in life, in this case the stirring romance between a widow and a widower, compellingly captures the halting rhythms and kaleidoscopic moods of old age. Sunny spoiler i just saw the movie with robert redford and jane fonda on netflix and loved it. It is a touching and thoughtprovoking tale of love found in the later stages of life. Henry le nav indeed no quotation marks, and that drives me crazy too. Louis waters and addie moore are the focus of this bittersweet yet inspiring story of a man and a woman who come together to wrestle with the events of their lives and their hopes for the future. Both are widowed addie is 70, louis about the same and. It is a beautiful, simple and direct story that should be on everyones summer reading list. Rainy day books book club discussion of our souls at night. Our souls at night, his final novel, opens with an evening visit that addie moore pays to her longtime neighbor, louis waters.
The questions, discussion topics, and reading list that follow are intended to enhance your reading groups discussion of our souls at night, the final novel from acclaimed author kent haruf questions and topics for discussion. But from beyond the grave he died last november haruf reaches out with our souls at night. The first draft book club will discuss kent harufs devastating final book, our souls at night, on wednesday, july 22. A with cathy haruf, kent harufs wife, we ask her to talk. Our souls at night brings veterans robert redford and jane fonda together for a heartfelt movie, set in a small town in colorado. Yesterday our book club met at my house to discuss kent harufs last book, our souls at night. In the familiar setting of holt, colorado, home to all of kent. I read our souls at night in one sitting and wept in the final pages. In his final work, the plainsong novelist, who died last year, returns to colorado one last time. Our souls at night is one of the most moving books ive read in ages. Kent haruf wrote our souls at night under a death sentence. Based on the bestselling novel written by kent haruf and adapted for the screen by scott neustadter and michael h. But haruf wrote this novel as an homage to his wife cathy, whom he married later in life as well. As a recently popular book club novel, our souls at night has received a lot of interest of late not least because of the film tiein version.
Fonda and redford will star as addie moore and louis waters, a widow and widower whove lived next to each other for years. Our souls at night, by kent haruf the new york times. Knitting book club our souls at night third place books. How this relationship develops, the impact it has on their families and.
Our souls at night by kent haruf mount prospect public library book discussion questions. But i found little of that now wait who said what that i have found in other books. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation. Our souls at night is a fitting conclusion to a remarkable writing career.
Our souls at night is as much a book about love late in life as it is about the connection between two people no matter their age. I enjoyed this book very much, however i must ask, did mr. It was discussed last year by the 21st century literature group before it was. The idea for the book has been floating around in my mind for quite a while.
Rainy day books will present an instore book club discussion of our souls at night by kent haruf. Jane fonda interview on her new movie, our souls at night. I cant really explain how such a short, simple book achieved such profound. Book club meetings are held on the 2nd friday of each month. Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers.
Kent harufs novel, our souls at night, tells the tale of the unlikely love found when addie moore proposes that her neighbor, louis waters, sleeps in the same bed as her because the nights are lonely. Our souls at night is the final book from the folio prize shortlisted author of plainsong, eventide and benediction, kent haruf. I suspect that the book will live on as many readers will identify with the issues presented. Our souls at night was inspired, in part, by harufs own marriage and the intimate, latenight conversations he and his wife relished, just like addie and louis. In holt, colorado, widower louis waters is initially thrown when the widowed addie moore suggests that they spend time together, in bed, to stave off loneliness, but soon they are exchanging the confidences and memories. Join us to knot or crochet while we discuss a our souls at night, which tells the story of a widow, addie moore who makes an unusual proposition to her neighbor louis waters.
Our souls at night has less grit than eventide, with its dickensian views of the lives of the poor, or plainsong, where favorite characters draw relentless spite. Its set, like all his previous novels, in the fictional town of holt, colorado. The old lady was waiting, sitting in a chair on the porch. In his final interview, conducted a few days before his death from interstitial lung disease, haruf discussed our souls at night. Weber the fault in our stars, our souls at night is set in. And just like addie and louis, haruf proved that youre never too old to reinvent yourself, take risks, find love, and write a great novel. February 14th discussion is on our souls at night by kent haruf. Harufs sixth and final novel, our souls at night, was. It will not take you long to read, but it will live with you forever. Their arrangement immediately comes under fire from the other elderly folks.
Our souls at night, by kent haruf my extensive reading. Kent harufs final novel, the national bestseller our souls at night, is a quiet tale of love and second chances. This valedictory novel is on the same elevated plane as plainsong and eventide. The quality of this book was of such that i could forgive the lack of quotation marks. Our souls at night is kent harufs final novel, as he passed away in 2014 at the age of 71. I cant believe i didnt read this book years ago, because now that ive read it, it reminds me so much of my alltime faves wallace stegner, wendell berry, and marilynne robinson. An interview with cathy haruf on the publication of her late husband kent harufs novel our souls at night. We started a book club at first draft book bar the coffee, beer, and wine bar inside changing hands phoenix. Our souls at night kent haruf, 2015 knopf doubleday 192 pp. Our souls at night book club discussion yesterday our book club met at my house to discuss kent harufs last book, our souls at night. When read as a final tribute to a lifelong love, this book becomes a thing of. I dont want to say too much, but i found this upclose look at an unlikely relationship.
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