Eventide

In Kent Haruf's poignant novel, the small Colorado town of Holt comes to life through the intertwined stories of its residents, each facing their own struggles and triumphs.

Following the astonishing Plainsong, Eventide is Kent Haruf's second novel set in his imaginary landscape of Holt, Colorado. Harold and Raymond McPheron are finally waving goodbye to their beloved Victoria, a young mother with a first chance at an education. Betty and Luther Wallace are struggling to keep their heads above water and their children out of care, while young friends Dena and DJ find solace away from their own troubled homes.

As these stories unfold and entwine, tragedy strikes the McPheron household and life is thrown irrevocably off course. Heart-breaking yet hopeful, Eventide is an unflinching depiction of the hardships of small-town life, lit up by astonishing moments of redemption. Haruf's prose captures the essence of humanity in this rural community, delving into themes of family, abandonment, death and abuse with a deft and compassionate touch.