Gilead
It is 1956 in the small town of Gilead, Iowa, and the Reverend John Ames is dying. Knowing he will not see his young son grow up, he begins a letter meant to be read years later, an account of his life, his father and grandfather, and the doubts and wonder that come with a life of faith. Marilynne Robinson's novel unfolds as a single quiet voice on the page, patient and luminous, circling questions of forgiveness, mortality, and grace. It is the book President Obama has named among his favorites, praising Ames as one of his favorite characters in fiction.
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What you might want to know about Gilead
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
An aging Iowa preacher, knowing his heart is failing, writes a long letter to his young son, setting down the family history and faith he won't live to explain in person.
Yes. Gilead won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Gilead is the first of four connected novels by Marilynne Robinson set in the same town, followed by Home, Lila, and Jack. Each can be read on its own.
Gilead was written by Marilynne Robinson, published in 2004 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Gilead is 257 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Gilead takes most readers 4 to 6 hours to finish.
Gilead is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
