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The Caretaker
Told against the backdrop of the Korean War as a small Appalachian town sends its sons to battle, The Caretaker by award-winning author Ron Rash ("One of the great American authors at work today" --The New York Times) is a breathtaking love story and a searing examination of the acts we seek to justify in the name of duty, family, honor, and love.
It's 1951 in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Blackburn Gant, his life irrevocably altered by a childhood case of polio, seems condemned to spend his life among the dead as the sole caretaker of a hilltop cemetery. It suits his withdrawn personality, and the inexplicable occurrences that happen from time to time rattle him less than interaction with the living. But when his best and only friend, the kind but impulsive Jacob Lampton, is conscripted to serve overseas, Blackburn is charged with caring for Jacob's wife, Naomi, as well.
Sixteen-year-old Naomi Clare is an outcast in Blowing Rock, an outsider, poor and uneducated, who works as a seasonal maid in the town's most elegant hotel. When Naomi elopes with Jacob a few months after her arrival, the marriage scandalizes the community, most of all his wealthy parents who disinherit him. Shunned by the townsfolk for their differences and equally fearful that Jacob may never come home, Blackburn and Naomi grow closer and closer until a shattering development derails numerous lives.
A tender examination of male friendship and rivalry as well as a riveting, page-turning novel of familial devotion, The Caretaker brilliantly depicts the human capacity for delusion and destruction all too often justified as acts of love.
It's 1951 in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Blackburn Gant, his life irrevocably altered by a childhood case of polio, seems condemned to spend his life among the dead as the sole caretaker of a hilltop cemetery. It suits his withdrawn personality, and the inexplicable occurrences that happen from time to time rattle him less than interaction with the living. But when his best and only friend, the kind but impulsive Jacob Lampton, is conscripted to serve overseas, Blackburn is charged with caring for Jacob's wife, Naomi, as well.
Sixteen-year-old Naomi Clare is an outcast in Blowing Rock, an outsider, poor and uneducated, who works as a seasonal maid in the town's most elegant hotel. When Naomi elopes with Jacob a few months after her arrival, the marriage scandalizes the community, most of all his wealthy parents who disinherit him. Shunned by the townsfolk for their differences and equally fearful that Jacob may never come home, Blackburn and Naomi grow closer and closer until a shattering development derails numerous lives.
A tender examination of male friendship and rivalry as well as a riveting, page-turning novel of familial devotion, The Caretaker brilliantly depicts the human capacity for delusion and destruction all too often justified as acts of love.
252 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2023
About the author
Ron Rash
57 books1,958 followersRon Rash is the author of the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Finalist and New York Times bestselling novel, Serena, in addition to three other prizewinning novels, One Foot in Eden, Saints at the River, and The World Made Straight; three collections of poems; and four collections of stories, among them Burning Bright, which won the 2010 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, and Chemistry and Other Stories, which was a finalist for the 2007 PEN/Faulkner Award. Twice the recipient of the O.Henry Prize, he teaches at Western Carolina University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,026 reviews
January 23, 2024
Now that’s the kind of Rash you want to have-and I am looking forward to getting more Rashes as this was my first!
A young man goes off to war. He leaves his young bride in the care of his friend. The parents never approved of this marriage and take it upon themselves to end it.
There’s a level of depth Rash brings to these characters. All their flaws and brokenness they bring to relationships, their true love and loyalty. How grief can linger and how dysfunctional a family can be when it makes its own self-sacrifices.
This could have ended in a few different ways and I was guessing up until the very end! Well played, Rash.
5⭐️
A young man goes off to war. He leaves his young bride in the care of his friend. The parents never approved of this marriage and take it upon themselves to end it.
There’s a level of depth Rash brings to these characters. All their flaws and brokenness they bring to relationships, their true love and loyalty. How grief can linger and how dysfunctional a family can be when it makes its own self-sacrifices.
This could have ended in a few different ways and I was guessing up until the very end! Well played, Rash.
5⭐️
September 3, 2024
The dead could do nothing worse to him than the living had already done.--------------------------------------
He couldn’t shake the inkling that something was about to happen, even as the morning passed undisturbed.Oh, what a tangled web we weave…
Blackburn Gant has had a tough go of it for such a young man. An unfortunate event when he was six left him with a distorted face and a limp. His parents did for him what they could, mom, to the extent possible, keeping him away from those who would prey on his otherness, his father tough-loving him into strength and self-sufficiency. He was hired at the tender age of sixteen to be the caretaker of the local cemetery, as his parents were moving to Florida. That was five years ago. He is thoughtful, respectful, and kind.
Ron Rash - image from Garden & Gun – photo credit Daniel Dent
Blowing Rock (which might bear a slight resemblance to Boiling Spring, where Rash was raised) has some upsides but it is mostly a place that young people leave if they have a choice. For Naomi, seventeen, pregnant, married to a soldier serving in Korea, and the object of hatred by her in-laws, it constitutes a hostile environment.
When we meet Jacob Hampton, he is having a tough time of his own. Enduring unbelievable cold in Korea, he is drawn into hand-to-hand combat with a North Korean soldier in the opening chapter. He is seriously wounded, at minimum.
Jacob is Blackburn’s best friend. He had charged Blackburn with the responsibility of taking care of Naomi in his absence, knowing that his parents wanted no part of her.
The spring his family moved here from Foscoe, Blackburn’s father sent him to catch trout for supper. He’d been fishing on the edge of the Hampton property when Jacob appeared. Blackburn thought he’d come to run him off. Instead, Jacob guided him to the pasture’s best pools tent, and soon Blackburn’s stringer was heavy with fish. He showed Blackburn a pretend fort made of fallen branches, said that together they could build it up even bigger. It was only when Blackburn was about to head home that Jacob acknowledged his face. Does it hurt? Blackburn said no. I’m glad it doesn’t, Jacob had said.The closeness between Jacob and Blackburn is palpable, but as Blackburn does all he can for his best friend’s wife, their bond grows as well.
Blackburn and Naomi are both outcasts in the town, people who must maintain a low profile just to get by. Most in the town are willing to at least go along with Jacob’s parents in decrying the marriage. Jacob is in no position to oppose them. Naomi is seen as a too-young gold-digger, interested only in the wealth that Jacob is slated to inherit from his successful parents. They are cruel to her, and disinherit their son. Only Blackburn stands with Naomi, seeing that she is safe, and cared for. He has nemeses of his own, a pair of louts whose desire for mayhem and dominance goes beyond teasing and beating.
A terrible thing takes place as the pregnancy progresses, a criminal deception that throws multiple lives into a particularly hurtful turmoil. You will spend the rest of your time reading this book desperate to see how it all plays out, and terrified about what awfulness will descend on characters you have come to care for.
Considering that this is very short for a novel, less than 60,000 words, there is an awful lot going on in it, so much more than gut-clutching and relatable characters. Rash is a master. He offers up poignant imagery to reinforce the story. Blackburn makes note of the fact that different breeds of apple fruit at different times of year. This just might possibly relate to Blackburn being something of a late bloomer. There are signs of hope as well as just cause for despair.
The storm had shaken branches off the white oak. Blackburn picked them up, including one on Shay Leary’s grave. The weathervane shifted. Clearer skies were coming.But are they, really? I could not help but think of another expression of hopeful anticipation, Something’s Coming from West Side Story. And how did that story of young-love-thwarted play out? Just sayin’. The imagery is not solely applied for the literary weight-bearing, but, directed through the consciousness of his Appalachian characters, the images serve to speak against any uninformed take about the intelligence of the people living in this part of the world. It requires sophistication to think in images. Giving them these thoughts makes it impossible to think of them as hillbillies, or unintelligent, regardless of how many years of school they may have completed. Some are there not so much to broaden the characters, as to toss readers an omen for our consideration. As soon as you see a mention of Barbara Hightower, for example, your antennae will be on alert for some sort of nefarious trade, whether real or theoretical. Mentions of trout might be there to highlight some form of purity.
Place is always a central element in Rash’s fiction, Appalachia in particular. The Caretaker gives us a look at rural North Carolina in the 1950s. His portrait of small-town life includes a look at how residents interconnect, showing how this person might feel indebted to that one, and how this one might feel too intimidated to say no to another, showing shared histories, bonds, and conflicts. He also provides a look at the supportive side of the community.
When Rash was in high school, his father was hospitalized for depression, an illness that tormented him for years. Sue Rash was left alone to look after three children in a small Southern town, one that often felt to her eldest son like its own dwarf planet. But when the family needed support from their neighbors, they got it. “The whole town helped us,” Ron says. “It was a struggle that was never spoken of, but they knew. And people came through for us.” - from the Garden & Gun interviewFriendship is often in Rash’s spotlight. How far would you go for a friend? Where is the line you would not cross? Family dynamics are given a close look, in Jacob’s family and beyond, particularly how parents treat children and why. Character will be sorely tested. Not all will do themselves proud.
I had one gripe, a convenient bit of unconsciousness that seemed very deus-ex-machinery, but really, that is a quibble. This is a wonderful read.
The Caretaker is Ron Rash’s first novel in ten years. It was inspired by a true story he had heard over twenty five years before, about a soldier who had eloped with a woman his parents disapproved of, before he was sent overseas. Rash changed it from WW II to Korea and expanded on the dark event that happened in that tale. In the lecture linked in EXTRA STUFF, he says, It's been the hardest novel I've ever done. He considers himself more of a short-story writer, which goes a ways to explaining the considerable gap since his last novel.
One of the masters of American literature, Ron Rash has struck again, with a story that will not only dazzle you with the strength of the character portrayals, but keep your abs clenched as you worry how the central crime (Rash is so good that you can really understand why the crime was committed, and appreciate the desperate motivation, without necessarily empathizing with the whole undertaking) will resolve for all involved. He will enrich your reading experience with dazzling literary skill, while giving you a look at a time, a place, and a culture. That West Side Story song may or may not portend something wonderful for the characters in this book, but it definitely works for any new work published by Ron Rash
Somethin's comin', I don't know what it isYes. Yes, it is.
But it is gonna be great
Review posted - 09/22/23
Publication dates
----------Hardcover – 09/26/23
----------Trade paperback - 07/16/24
I received an ARE of The Caretaker from Doubleday in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.
This review is cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Link to Rash’s personal site. His son, James, set up, and his daughter, Caroline, currently maintains, a Fan Club FB page for him. But the latter does not appear to have been updated since 2020.
Profile – Marky Rusoff Literary Agency
Ron Rash’s family has lived in the southern Appalachian Mountains since the mid-1700’s, and it is this region that is the primary focus of his writing. Rash grew up in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, and graduated from Gardner-Webb College and Clemson University. He holds the John Parris Chair in Appalachian Studies at Western Carolina University. Rash is the author of 9 books: The Night The New Jesus Fell to Earth (short stories), Casualties (short stories), Eureka Mill (poetry), and Among the Believers (poetry), Raising the Dead (poetry), One Foot in Eden (novel), Saints at the River (novel), The World Made Straight (2006), and Serena (2008). His poetry and fiction have appeared in over one hundred journals, magazines, and anthologies, including The Longman Anthology of Southern Literature, Western Wind, Sewanee Review, Yale Review, Georgia Review, Kenyon Review, New England Review, Southern Review, Shenandoah and Poetry.Interviews
-----Garden & Gun – August 2020 - Meet Ron Rash, the Blue-Collar Bard by Bronwen Dickey - done for his prior book, but still relevant
-----PBS Books - Ron Rash Interview at Miami Book Fair
- by Jeffrey Brown - video 8:34 – from 2014 – on the impact of landscape on stories and authors who have informed his work
My reviews of other Ron Rash books
-----2020 - In the Valley
-----2016 - The Risen
-----2015 - Above the Waterfall
-----2013 - Nothing Gold Can Stay
-----2012 - The Cove
-----2010 - Burning Bright
-----2008 - Serena
Item of Interest
-----Romantic Asheville - Brown Mountain Lights - mentioned in Chapter 20
Item of Interest from the author
----- CCC&TI Writer's Symposium - 2023: Ron Rash lecture - video - 56:05 - Rash begins at 6:00
Songs/music
-----Red Foley - Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy - referenced in chapter 6
-----Arthur Smith - Guitar Boogie– noted in Chapter 15
-----West Side Story - Something’s Coming - from 1961 film
October 5, 2023
My first Ron Rash..
Set during the years of the Korean war…
in Appalachia ..
A prominent family in North Carolina disowns their son Jacob, when he falls for a young girl he meets and ends up eloping with.
Then he has to go to war, leaving his pregnant wife behind.
After he is injured and due to come home from war..
the unimaginable is done by his parents.. a seriously despicable and UNIMAGINABLE betrayal..that separates the young couple in a way you could not even dream up.
This story is so good.. an endearing character in Blackburn Gant who is Jacob’s best friend and always there for him. Blackburn Gant is the star of this story!
So good.. I’d appreciate my goodreads friends giving me feedback on what other books of his are good.
Set during the years of the Korean war…
in Appalachia ..
A prominent family in North Carolina disowns their son Jacob, when he falls for a young girl he meets and ends up eloping with.
Then he has to go to war, leaving his pregnant wife behind.
After he is injured and due to come home from war..
the unimaginable is done by his parents.. a seriously despicable and UNIMAGINABLE betrayal..that separates the young couple in a way you could not even dream up.
This story is so good.. an endearing character in Blackburn Gant who is Jacob’s best friend and always there for him. Blackburn Gant is the star of this story!
So good.. I’d appreciate my goodreads friends giving me feedback on what other books of his are good.
September 1, 2024
TERRA E UOMINI D’OMBRA
Ron Rash non spreca parole. Ma neppure ne sottrae. È essenziale.
Ha la capacità di farmi sentire i suoni e i rumori, gli odori, di farmi vedere il cielo, i colori che cambiano, l’alba e la notte. Nelle sue pagine la natura diventa un personaggio. Nelle sue pagine la geografia vive (siamo sempre negli Appalachi, anche se questa volta nominati a stento): mi fa ‘sentire’ i confini, il passaggio da uno stato all’altro, e perfino da una provincia (contea?) a un’altra. Il local che diventa glocal.
Questa volta il paesaggio è meno incombente, meno chiuso, più aperto.
Con pochi tratti, che sono perlopiù azioni, movimenti, mi racconta e spiega e mi fa scoprire un personaggio: non ha bisogno di pagine, gli bastano poche righe per descrivere un carattere, un comportamento, il motivo di una reazione.
Parla di gente che ha un’ampia gamma di sfumature, nessun bianco o nero sparato, chiaroscuro, tonalità, gradazioni. Non esiste Bene o Male: ma bene e male, un po’ dell’uno e un po’ dell’altro. Nessuno è perfetto, nessuno è diabolico: sono tutti umani.
<
Questa volta siamo nel 1951, con la guerra di Corea in corso. Ma le due guerre mondiali sono ricordi freschi, ancora roventi: ci sono personaggi che hanno fatto la prima, e altri la seconda. Che voglia di combattere, e uccidere, che c’è in giro…
È di nuovo un’America rurale, contadina, bottegaia, artigiana, impregnata di pregiudizi, dove regna emarginazione e sopruso, dove le vittime e i feriti dalla vita camminano tra noi.
Anche questa volta un luogo centrale è il cimitero: nei primi due romanzi che ho letto finivano sommersi dall’acqua di fiumi o laghi: questa volta non succede nulla del genere, non è l’acqua a dominare, ma la terra. Il cimitero e le sue tombe sono il luogo più frequentato del romanzo. Tanto che il titolo si riferisce proprio al custode del cimitero, un giovane affetto dalla poliomelite: che inizia vivendo con i morti, per progredire e imparare a vivere con i vivi.
Le sue storie partono e si sviluppano su un registro cupo e tormentato e doloroso: ma l’obiettivo è la luce. Rash sa sempre come condurci storia e lettore.
E perfino costruendo una trama complessa, che poggia su una menzogna eclatante, spudorata, infame, riesce a essere convincente, credibile. In questo caso il finale a sorpresa evita qualsiasi caduta, evita i rischi di un plot alquanto elaborato. Tanto da ricordare il libretto di un’opera lirica, o una tragedia shakespeariana – “Romeo e Giulietta” su tutte.
Sono tutti cimiteri degli Appalachi.
Ron Rash non spreca parole. Ma neppure ne sottrae. È essenziale.
Ha la capacità di farmi sentire i suoni e i rumori, gli odori, di farmi vedere il cielo, i colori che cambiano, l’alba e la notte. Nelle sue pagine la natura diventa un personaggio. Nelle sue pagine la geografia vive (siamo sempre negli Appalachi, anche se questa volta nominati a stento): mi fa ‘sentire’ i confini, il passaggio da uno stato all’altro, e perfino da una provincia (contea?) a un’altra. Il local che diventa glocal.
Questa volta il paesaggio è meno incombente, meno chiuso, più aperto.
Con pochi tratti, che sono perlopiù azioni, movimenti, mi racconta e spiega e mi fa scoprire un personaggio: non ha bisogno di pagine, gli bastano poche righe per descrivere un carattere, un comportamento, il motivo di una reazione.
Parla di gente che ha un’ampia gamma di sfumature, nessun bianco o nero sparato, chiaroscuro, tonalità, gradazioni. Non esiste Bene o Male: ma bene e male, un po’ dell’uno e un po’ dell’altro. Nessuno è perfetto, nessuno è diabolico: sono tutti umani.
<
Questa volta siamo nel 1951, con la guerra di Corea in corso. Ma le due guerre mondiali sono ricordi freschi, ancora roventi: ci sono personaggi che hanno fatto la prima, e altri la seconda. Che voglia di combattere, e uccidere, che c’è in giro…
È di nuovo un’America rurale, contadina, bottegaia, artigiana, impregnata di pregiudizi, dove regna emarginazione e sopruso, dove le vittime e i feriti dalla vita camminano tra noi.
Anche questa volta un luogo centrale è il cimitero: nei primi due romanzi che ho letto finivano sommersi dall’acqua di fiumi o laghi: questa volta non succede nulla del genere, non è l’acqua a dominare, ma la terra. Il cimitero e le sue tombe sono il luogo più frequentato del romanzo. Tanto che il titolo si riferisce proprio al custode del cimitero, un giovane affetto dalla poliomelite: che inizia vivendo con i morti, per progredire e imparare a vivere con i vivi.
Le sue storie partono e si sviluppano su un registro cupo e tormentato e doloroso: ma l’obiettivo è la luce. Rash sa sempre come condurci storia e lettore.
E perfino costruendo una trama complessa, che poggia su una menzogna eclatante, spudorata, infame, riesce a essere convincente, credibile. In questo caso il finale a sorpresa evita qualsiasi caduta, evita i rischi di un plot alquanto elaborato. Tanto da ricordare il libretto di un’opera lirica, o una tragedia shakespeariana – “Romeo e Giulietta” su tutte.
Sono tutti cimiteri degli Appalachi.
November 5, 2023
5🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
With notes of Wendell Berry, Victor Hugo, and Shakespeare, this latest offering from Ron Rash is way more subtle with its building tension and portents of potential doom.
Think of the best Pinot Noir, dry, medium-bodied, with bright acidity and silky tannins.
Appalachian terroir comes through on each of the 252 pages.
A vintage Rash that shows the complexity and rewards of fine aging; complex and well-balanced profiles with a long finish.
You want a case of this goodness because one bottle just wont do.
With notes of Wendell Berry, Victor Hugo, and Shakespeare, this latest offering from Ron Rash is way more subtle with its building tension and portents of potential doom.
Think of the best Pinot Noir, dry, medium-bodied, with bright acidity and silky tannins.
Appalachian terroir comes through on each of the 252 pages.
A vintage Rash that shows the complexity and rewards of fine aging; complex and well-balanced profiles with a long finish.
You want a case of this goodness because one bottle just wont do.
June 10, 2023
’Foul deeds will rise, through all the earth o’erwhelm them, to men’s eyes.’ - ’Hamlet’
It’s been ten years since Ron Rash’s last novel, but it was well worth the wait.
Set in a small town in Appalachia in the 1950s, this town and families throughout the country had watched and waited to see who would be the chosen ones. Who among those that they love will be chosen to be sent to fight in the Korean War. Who will return to their friends and families, and who will be returned and laid to rest.
On one hand, this is a story of small town life, of the expectations of family as well as others, manipulation by parents who ‘want the best’ for their sons who are old enough to be sent to war, old enough to marry. It’s a story of the haves and the have-nots, and those who look down on those who are scraping by. It’s a story of deceit, and one of love. It’s a story of the toll that war takes on those who manage to survive, as well as the toll it takes on the families waiting for their return.
At 256 pages, Rash has not only written a compelling story, but also covers some very thought provoking moments on the lengths we would go to for family, for those we love, and whether or not we are doing it for the ones we love, or for ourselves.
Pub Date: 26 Sep 2023
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Doubleday Books, Doubleday
October 19, 2023
This newest book by Ron Rash has replaced Serena as my favorite by him. Not a suspense novel, but still, the last 30 pages have to be raced through. Blackburn Gant is the disfigured caretaker of the small town cemetery, his best friend Jacob is the only son of the town's wealthiest family. They grow up together and Jacob is conscripted into the army to serve in the Korean War, after having first married a girl his parents did not approve of and would not accept. She is 4 months pregnant when he leaves, after securing Blackburn's promise to take care of her.
That's the set up, then we get a timeless story of small town thinking, lies, deception, tragedy, loyalty, friendship; all the things that go into the making of a great novel. Jacob's parents enter literary history as evil personified. Blackburn Gant is a character who will remain in my memory for a long time as a symbol of goodness, always doing the right thing even when it hurts. He reminded me a lot of another unforgettable character, Larry Ott, from Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin. A man who is hurt and disappointed by life, but not destroyed.
This is going down as one of my favorite novels of the year. Appalachian settings are near and dear to my heart, and Ron Rash knows how to make it come alive, true to the people and the landscape.
That's the set up, then we get a timeless story of small town thinking, lies, deception, tragedy, loyalty, friendship; all the things that go into the making of a great novel. Jacob's parents enter literary history as evil personified. Blackburn Gant is a character who will remain in my memory for a long time as a symbol of goodness, always doing the right thing even when it hurts. He reminded me a lot of another unforgettable character, Larry Ott, from Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin. A man who is hurt and disappointed by life, but not destroyed.
This is going down as one of my favorite novels of the year. Appalachian settings are near and dear to my heart, and Ron Rash knows how to make it come alive, true to the people and the landscape.
January 30, 2024
I finally read my first novel by Ron Rash thanks to all the raves from my GR friends and I am here to say that I loved it!
Brief synopsis: Jacob falls in love with Naomi. His parents disapprove. This is 1951- Jacob is conscripted to fight in the Korean War. Will their love end happily or not? I don’t want to reveal too much- it’s best discovered on one’s own.
So many important themes in this book- friendship, loyalty, betrayal, the after effects of the war. We meet Jacob’s parents who think they want the best for their son- is it really him they are thinking of?
Ron Rash has brought to life the people of this small town. The person I haven’t mentioned yet is Blackburn, the “caretaker” at the cemetery and Jacob’s best friend. He is a man I will not soon forget!
The writing in this book is simple, yet elegant. It drew me in immediately and kept me enthralled till the end. A book that stayed in my thoughts, even when not reading it. I look forward to reading Ron Rash’s back list.
Highly recommend this one!
Published: 2023
Brief synopsis: Jacob falls in love with Naomi. His parents disapprove. This is 1951- Jacob is conscripted to fight in the Korean War. Will their love end happily or not? I don’t want to reveal too much- it’s best discovered on one’s own.
So many important themes in this book- friendship, loyalty, betrayal, the after effects of the war. We meet Jacob’s parents who think they want the best for their son- is it really him they are thinking of?
Ron Rash has brought to life the people of this small town. The person I haven’t mentioned yet is Blackburn, the “caretaker” at the cemetery and Jacob’s best friend. He is a man I will not soon forget!
The writing in this book is simple, yet elegant. It drew me in immediately and kept me enthralled till the end. A book that stayed in my thoughts, even when not reading it. I look forward to reading Ron Rash’s back list.
Highly recommend this one!
Published: 2023
May 20, 2024
“What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.”
A quote that is perfect for this novel. Set in Appalachia,a small town, a place and its people that Rash knows well. Set during the Korean War, which is itself unusual, other wars usually get top billing. A simple story that under Rash’s hand becomes much more. A character study of those who think so highly of themselves that they are adamant they know they know what is best for their son, despite his wishes. That think they are so much better than others, that they refuse to accept a young woman, they consider lesser, into their family.
A limited set of characters that the reader gets to know well, by their actions. It is the character of Blackburn that I loved the most. A man of honesty and integrity, a man who has been much bullied and thought less of, because of his disfigurement. Why do we always base someone’s intelligence on the way they look?
I actually finished this book some time ago and have thought of it often since. Found it impressive and memorable a combination that leads to five stars.
A quote that is perfect for this novel. Set in Appalachia,a small town, a place and its people that Rash knows well. Set during the Korean War, which is itself unusual, other wars usually get top billing. A simple story that under Rash’s hand becomes much more. A character study of those who think so highly of themselves that they are adamant they know they know what is best for their son, despite his wishes. That think they are so much better than others, that they refuse to accept a young woman, they consider lesser, into their family.
A limited set of characters that the reader gets to know well, by their actions. It is the character of Blackburn that I loved the most. A man of honesty and integrity, a man who has been much bullied and thought less of, because of his disfigurement. Why do we always base someone’s intelligence on the way they look?
I actually finished this book some time ago and have thought of it often since. Found it impressive and memorable a combination that leads to five stars.
November 23, 2023
I thought it was lovely. There are no dazzle-dazzle turns of phrase that wowed me. The language is plain. The story is small. The scenes were vivid and the emotions true. I loved it.
September 15, 2023
4.5 stars
I started reading The Caretaker one evening and it just grabbed ahold of me. Talk about being emotionally invested in the 3 main characters. Wow, what a story! Highly recommend checking this book out.
It's 1951 and Jacob Lampton is sent overseas to fight in the Korean War. He leaves behind his pregnant wife, Naomi at their Blowing Rock, North Carolina home. Jacob married Naomi when she was 16 years old and his parents, furious with his choice of bride, disowned him. Jacob's friend, Blackburn Gant is a caretaker at the cemetery and periodically checks in on Naomi to make sure she is doing okay. One decision will change so many lives.
The story bounces around among Jacob, Naomi, Blackburn and as well as some other characters living in the community. The author really delivers a sucker punch to the heart early on which took an already good story to the next level. There's so much more I want to say but I don't want to venture into spoiler territory.
The only teeny, tiny criticism is the last few chapters felt rushed either because moments moved too quickly or because they weren't included to begin with. (Does that make sense? It's tricky talking about an ending, when you can't actually talk about it.)
Overall, it was a terrific read though. Thank you Doubleday for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
I started reading The Caretaker one evening and it just grabbed ahold of me. Talk about being emotionally invested in the 3 main characters. Wow, what a story! Highly recommend checking this book out.
It's 1951 and Jacob Lampton is sent overseas to fight in the Korean War. He leaves behind his pregnant wife, Naomi at their Blowing Rock, North Carolina home. Jacob married Naomi when she was 16 years old and his parents, furious with his choice of bride, disowned him. Jacob's friend, Blackburn Gant is a caretaker at the cemetery and periodically checks in on Naomi to make sure she is doing okay. One decision will change so many lives.
The story bounces around among Jacob, Naomi, Blackburn and as well as some other characters living in the community. The author really delivers a sucker punch to the heart early on which took an already good story to the next level. There's so much more I want to say but I don't want to venture into spoiler territory.
The only teeny, tiny criticism is the last few chapters felt rushed either because moments moved too quickly or because they weren't included to begin with. (Does that make sense? It's tricky talking about an ending, when you can't actually talk about it.)
Overall, it was a terrific read though. Thank you Doubleday for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
October 9, 2023
Blackburn Gant is a young man who was disfigured by childhood polio. He lives by himself in a cottage at the town's cemetery where he is the caretaker. Blackburn has a good friend in town, Jacob Hampton, the only son of a prosperous family. Jacob was disinherited when he eloped with Naomi, a marriage that his parents considered to be under their social status.
When Jacob is drafted to serve in the Korean War, he asks Blackburn to help the pregnant Naomi until he returns from the military. After Jacob is discharged with war injuries, his cruel parents cook up a plan to destroy their son's marriage.
This is a story about friendship, love, loyalty, and small town living in the 1950s. Ron Rash's writing is superb, and the book's opening pages on the ice of a Korean river are unforgettable. Blackburn Gant is a wonderful character -- a dependable, capable loner that carries on despite the challenges life throws at him. As always, Ron Rash has such insight into human nature and wonderful descriptions of the Appalachian region of North Carolina. "The Caretaker" is one of my favorite reads of the year!
When Jacob is drafted to serve in the Korean War, he asks Blackburn to help the pregnant Naomi until he returns from the military. After Jacob is discharged with war injuries, his cruel parents cook up a plan to destroy their son's marriage.
This is a story about friendship, love, loyalty, and small town living in the 1950s. Ron Rash's writing is superb, and the book's opening pages on the ice of a Korean river are unforgettable. Blackburn Gant is a wonderful character -- a dependable, capable loner that carries on despite the challenges life throws at him. As always, Ron Rash has such insight into human nature and wonderful descriptions of the Appalachian region of North Carolina. "The Caretaker" is one of my favorite reads of the year!
November 29, 2023
3.5 Stars
The Caretaker is a beautiful Southern historical fiction story. Set against the backdrop of the Korean War. It’s a story of love, friendship, family and deception.
This is my third novel by Ron Rash and I really enjoy his writing and his beautifully crafted stories. The characters are extremely well drawn and the writing is seductive and suspenseful.
It’s certainly a book that will pull at your heart strings and leave you wanting more.
For all of my enjoyment of the book I had a nagging thought for 70% of the story
I listened to this one on Audible and it was just 6 hours long. An enjoyable read and extremely well narrated.
The Caretaker is a beautiful Southern historical fiction story. Set against the backdrop of the Korean War. It’s a story of love, friendship, family and deception.
This is my third novel by Ron Rash and I really enjoy his writing and his beautifully crafted stories. The characters are extremely well drawn and the writing is seductive and suspenseful.
It’s certainly a book that will pull at your heart strings and leave you wanting more.
For all of my enjoyment of the book I had a nagging thought for 70% of the story
I listened to this one on Audible and it was just 6 hours long. An enjoyable read and extremely well narrated.
August 10, 2024
Ron had a chance to make Caretaker a great book, a chance to go from a run of the mill, cookie cutter, boxed lunch, make everyone happy, sunshine and rainbows book, to a great book and he couldn't get it done. 90 percent of Caretaker was great, the characters were well developed and relatable, the story was interesting, emotional, and well-written. The ending though! The GD ending!!!! Come on Ron you worked so hard, you poured your heart and soul into it, you were so close to the finish line, and you tripped. You took a sad, deep, well-written story and ruined it with your happy everyone gets what they want, Shit! Ending. Why do so many authors do that? Not everything needs to be wrapped up all nice and tidy. Not everything needs to fit into a happy little box at the end. Don't be scared to ruffle some feathers and ruin some characters life. Don't be scared to make the reader sad and angry with your ending. It'll make for a much better story.
Don't get me wrong it's worth the read, it just could have been, should have been, way better. Sadness, grief, betrayal, family, death, love, hate, war, tragedy, friendship, the makings of a great book are all there, Mr. Rash just couldn't resist the temptation to wrap it all up all nice and neat for you though.
Don't get me wrong it's worth the read, it just could have been, should have been, way better. Sadness, grief, betrayal, family, death, love, hate, war, tragedy, friendship, the makings of a great book are all there, Mr. Rash just couldn't resist the temptation to wrap it all up all nice and neat for you though.
August 19, 2024
“One of the great American authors at work today.” — The New York Times
“Ron Rash is a writer of both the darkly beautiful and the sadly true. . . . One of our very finest novelists.” — Richard Russo
The Caretaker is the third book that I have read by Ron Rash as I continue my way through his vast and beautiful body of work. This novel is set in mid-century Appalachia as we are introduced to Blackburn Gant, a loner disfigured by polio as a child, now a live-in caretaker of a mountain cemetery in North Carolina. When his closest friend, Jacob Hampton, is drafted into the Korean War, Gant is charged with taking care of his young pregnant wife, Naomi, from Tennessee and ill-educated but determined to better herself as she immerses herself in her education writing letters to Jacob in Korea. And Jacob’s family being one of the town’s most prominent families, shopkeepers revered for their generosity during the Depression, disowning him and refusing to have anything to do with Naomi. And what ensues as we witness Jacob’s experiences in Korea as well as the town’s reaction to Naomi and Blackburn’s efforts to protect Naomi as he promised Jacob, even if it means moving her back to her family in Tennessee. This is a heartbreaking book as at the same time a most uplifting book. But it is Blackburn Gant that gives this book its heart and soul as he elevates and sustains the narrative.
December 30, 2023
Ron Rash is about as solid a writer of Southern literature as they come. He writes so vividly and fluidly about his home state of North Carolina and creates such believable characters. It has been 7 years since his last novel and he has produced one of his best with The Caretaker. I have been sitting on this since finishing before Christmas when I initially gave this 4 stars. However, he really gets the people and the place and allows Appalachia to shine through his storytelling and lyrical prose and this one packs a big final punch.
It’s a love story unlike any you’ve read before. Readers will experience love’s power and how it can drive or propel one to careless, harmful behaviors or alter one so much that they are a better, stronger person for it.
Jacob is conscripted into the Korean War after marrying a 16-year-old girl his parents do not approve of. She is pregnant when he leaves and Jacob’s inheritance is revoked. Left with no one to care for Naomi, he asks his best friend from childhood, Blackburn, the disfigured caretaker of the local cemetery to watch out for her and see that she is alright while he is gone. He is such a curious yet kind character and one filled with all the good things, doing what he believes is right. He has a reverence toward his occupation taking such care tending to the graves, flowers, and grounds and of caring for the dead believing that small acts of respect mattered.
Rash has outdone himself here and given his loyal readers a story to chew on and to think about. It is a slow-building story with seeds of deceit and manipulation to sweeten the plot. Parents always want what’s best for their children and when and where is the line blurred between right and wrong in the name of duty and family honor? When does one recognize that their actions may not really be for the ones they love but for themselves?
It’s so great to have Rash back at the pen and doing it with such perfection!
It’s a love story unlike any you’ve read before. Readers will experience love’s power and how it can drive or propel one to careless, harmful behaviors or alter one so much that they are a better, stronger person for it.
Jacob is conscripted into the Korean War after marrying a 16-year-old girl his parents do not approve of. She is pregnant when he leaves and Jacob’s inheritance is revoked. Left with no one to care for Naomi, he asks his best friend from childhood, Blackburn, the disfigured caretaker of the local cemetery to watch out for her and see that she is alright while he is gone. He is such a curious yet kind character and one filled with all the good things, doing what he believes is right. He has a reverence toward his occupation taking such care tending to the graves, flowers, and grounds and of caring for the dead believing that small acts of respect mattered.
Rash has outdone himself here and given his loyal readers a story to chew on and to think about. It is a slow-building story with seeds of deceit and manipulation to sweeten the plot. Parents always want what’s best for their children and when and where is the line blurred between right and wrong in the name of duty and family honor? When does one recognize that their actions may not really be for the ones they love but for themselves?
It’s so great to have Rash back at the pen and doing it with such perfection!
November 23, 2023
We are in 1951, evocatively transported to what should be a simpler time. Blackburn is a remarkable young man, living with the remnants of polio which so effects his body those who come across him treat him like a leper. He is shunned, disrespected; treated like a piece of rubbish. The only real connection he has is with his work as the caretaker of the church, its grounds, and their dead. Blackburn treats this with such a special respect, having learned his job from the predecessor, equally as respectful. He has received labouring help in the past, but people are too hard to deal with, lazy and always lacking respect for him and the graves they work with. Blackburn works tremendously hard with almost no appreciation for all that he does, such a caring and wonderful man.
Blackburn's childhood friend is his one true companion, Jacob and his new wife, the pregnant Naomi. All of these wonderfully formed characters share a bond during war time. This is where the goodness ends. Blackburn is not wealthy, Jacob comes from wealth, an entitled and insipid family. They rule the town. They rule Jacob. Naomi is not a suitable match for this snobbish and arrogant pair, they despise her, this poor and uneducated girl. The family have already lost two daughters and have no intention of losing their son to this young girl, life will stop before they allow this to happen.
Naomi is a beautiful character, unspoiled by life who does not allow the ignorant people to invade her mind completely. Wearing a lovely dress into town unadorned by her husband is enough to set tongues wagging. God forbid she is in the company of the wonderful Blackburn, tasked in keeping an eye on her while Jacob is away in Korea.
Evocative descriptions of Jacob's time away on the front, propelling him on to make it back home to his new bride, with the love he feels for her despite his fractured family. The controlling and manipulative parents cutting him out of their will, removing his inheritance and refusal to have them in their lives at all.
A tragic betrayal carried out without a care in the world leaves the reader reeling, I was grateful this was a short book, I don't think my heart could have kept up.
Blackburn stole my heart, his nature and willingness was beautiful and conversely, Jacob's family so deplorable I was unable to contain myself. I was completely enthralled. Descriptions of struggling farmers, and the lengths they will go to turn around their misfortune, the hardworking doctor struggling to hold together a town intent on judging those less fortunate all form a compelling and fulfilling read.
I loved this book and will recommend it to anyone who will listen! I am not a fan of historical fiction, therefore I'm always grateful for the Goodreads community which is the method I come across many of my titles.
I listened to this audiobook via the BorrowBox app and my public library, so grateful to have such wonderful access to many wonderful resources.
Blackburn's childhood friend is his one true companion, Jacob and his new wife, the pregnant Naomi. All of these wonderfully formed characters share a bond during war time. This is where the goodness ends. Blackburn is not wealthy, Jacob comes from wealth, an entitled and insipid family. They rule the town. They rule Jacob. Naomi is not a suitable match for this snobbish and arrogant pair, they despise her, this poor and uneducated girl. The family have already lost two daughters and have no intention of losing their son to this young girl, life will stop before they allow this to happen.
Naomi is a beautiful character, unspoiled by life who does not allow the ignorant people to invade her mind completely. Wearing a lovely dress into town unadorned by her husband is enough to set tongues wagging. God forbid she is in the company of the wonderful Blackburn, tasked in keeping an eye on her while Jacob is away in Korea.
Evocative descriptions of Jacob's time away on the front, propelling him on to make it back home to his new bride, with the love he feels for her despite his fractured family. The controlling and manipulative parents cutting him out of their will, removing his inheritance and refusal to have them in their lives at all.
A tragic betrayal carried out without a care in the world leaves the reader reeling, I was grateful this was a short book, I don't think my heart could have kept up.
Blackburn stole my heart, his nature and willingness was beautiful and conversely, Jacob's family so deplorable I was unable to contain myself. I was completely enthralled. Descriptions of struggling farmers, and the lengths they will go to turn around their misfortune, the hardworking doctor struggling to hold together a town intent on judging those less fortunate all form a compelling and fulfilling read.
I loved this book and will recommend it to anyone who will listen! I am not a fan of historical fiction, therefore I'm always grateful for the Goodreads community which is the method I come across many of my titles.
I listened to this audiobook via the BorrowBox app and my public library, so grateful to have such wonderful access to many wonderful resources.
August 5, 2024
Ron Rash sets up a riveting opening for his latest novel The Caretaker. An attack, a fight, a death. Then he quickly moves the setting from Korea to Blowing Rock, NC in the spring of 1951 where the majority of the novel is set.
Jacob Hampton has tasked his best friend Blackburn Gant to look after his young, pregnant wife while he completes his non-voluntary military service in Korea. Wounded, Jacob eagerly looks forward to being sent home and reunited with his nuclear family. His estranged parents, however, have other plans around which the main tension of the plot revolves.
Rash's love of nature, Appalachia in particular, is evident in his considered, understated, and expressive prose.
"He closed his eyes and imagined getting off the bus. The sun would be out, the creek gurgling, and the woods brimming green. Every step would remind him that his world, the true world, had not changed. When he could see his and Naomi's farmhouse, Jacob would stop and kneel by the creek, place his hand in the current, let it wash all memories of Korea down the stream, first into Middlefork, and then the New River, the Ohio, the Mississippi, finally the ocean, where they'd sink forever."
The characters are well developed and complex, real human beings, that I come to understand. There are those I love and admire and those I dislike. I feel emotionally invested in their lives and the outcome.
I worked with Vietnam Vets for a number of years. This truth, spoken to Jacob by a WWII veteran is one I have heard repeated over and over by these men as they continued to strive to support each other:
"We seen men, good men who were our friends, killed. We killed men. Don't we owe them, all of them, to make the most of life?".
Several of these characters grow over the short time span of the novel. This particular thought of Naomi's resonated with me:
"It made Naomi wonder how different he would have been as a father to her and Lila if their mother had lived longer. Learning people were so much more than you thought, wasn't that also part of no longer being a child?"
I see love, in all its forms, as the central theme of this novel. I am impressed with the depth of the relationship between Jacob and Blackburn; I can't think of another male friendship that has been portrayed so tenderly in literature. (Please chime in if you know of one.) Rash also examines class and the power a little more money can wield, especially in a small town. He skillfully portrays the citizens of Blowing Rock in their differences and their interconnectedness.
Rash effortlessly packs a lot into 252 pages; I see why he considers himself mostly a short story writer. I hope to read his most recent collection this fall.
Publication 2023
Jacob Hampton has tasked his best friend Blackburn Gant to look after his young, pregnant wife while he completes his non-voluntary military service in Korea. Wounded, Jacob eagerly looks forward to being sent home and reunited with his nuclear family. His estranged parents, however, have other plans around which the main tension of the plot revolves.
Rash's love of nature, Appalachia in particular, is evident in his considered, understated, and expressive prose.
"He closed his eyes and imagined getting off the bus. The sun would be out, the creek gurgling, and the woods brimming green. Every step would remind him that his world, the true world, had not changed. When he could see his and Naomi's farmhouse, Jacob would stop and kneel by the creek, place his hand in the current, let it wash all memories of Korea down the stream, first into Middlefork, and then the New River, the Ohio, the Mississippi, finally the ocean, where they'd sink forever."
The characters are well developed and complex, real human beings, that I come to understand. There are those I love and admire and those I dislike. I feel emotionally invested in their lives and the outcome.
I worked with Vietnam Vets for a number of years. This truth, spoken to Jacob by a WWII veteran is one I have heard repeated over and over by these men as they continued to strive to support each other:
"We seen men, good men who were our friends, killed. We killed men. Don't we owe them, all of them, to make the most of life?".
Several of these characters grow over the short time span of the novel. This particular thought of Naomi's resonated with me:
"It made Naomi wonder how different he would have been as a father to her and Lila if their mother had lived longer. Learning people were so much more than you thought, wasn't that also part of no longer being a child?"
I see love, in all its forms, as the central theme of this novel. I am impressed with the depth of the relationship between Jacob and Blackburn; I can't think of another male friendship that has been portrayed so tenderly in literature. (Please chime in if you know of one.) Rash also examines class and the power a little more money can wield, especially in a small town. He skillfully portrays the citizens of Blowing Rock in their differences and their interconnectedness.
Rash effortlessly packs a lot into 252 pages; I see why he considers himself mostly a short story writer. I hope to read his most recent collection this fall.
Publication 2023
August 6, 2024
Our son has a pregnant wife and we don't like her. She's a hussy and she wants our money. He went to the war, to Korea. This is a very good opportunity to get rid of her. We are going to do it in a very untypical way.
Worthwhile book. It shows how people can be mean, even to their own children. Full of emotions; grief, love, lost, pain, and meanness.
Worthwhile book. It shows how people can be mean, even to their own children. Full of emotions; grief, love, lost, pain, and meanness.
January 26, 2024
This is, for me, a rare 5 story rating. It is a novel by an accomplished author that defines the meaning of friendship and loyalty. The title character is Blackburn Gant, disfigured by polio, and shunned and bullied by the townspeople until he meets Jacob and they become lifelong friends. Blackburn is in charge of maintaining the church graveyard, which he does with respect for those buried there.
When Jacob marries Naomi, his parents consider her beneath their social status and disinherit him. He asks Blackburn to look after her during his deployment to Korea, which Blackburn does with the grace and integrity that define his character.
The cruel deception arranged by his parents is heartbreaking. Everyone who reads The Caretaker will be grateful to Ron Rash for writing this truly amazing book about a hero named Blackburn.
When Jacob marries Naomi, his parents consider her beneath their social status and disinherit him. He asks Blackburn to look after her during his deployment to Korea, which Blackburn does with the grace and integrity that define his character.
The cruel deception arranged by his parents is heartbreaking. Everyone who reads The Caretaker will be grateful to Ron Rash for writing this truly amazing book about a hero named Blackburn.
October 7, 2023
My recommendation on this one would be to skip the lengthy reviews, avoid spoilers, and just read this lyrically written book filled with flawed characters and family betrayal done supposedly in the name of love.
It’s been a great while since I found myself so anxiously turning pages to see if and how everything might turn out.
Read for On The Southern Literary Trail group- 5 stars
It’s been a great while since I found myself so anxiously turning pages to see if and how everything might turn out.
Read for On The Southern Literary Trail group- 5 stars
September 18, 2023
Ron Rash, I have missed you! A barrel full of gratitude to Lindsay at Doubleday for offering me a free ebook through NetGalley. It was sooo worth the wait.
A depiction of true friendship, true honor, true love, and what true a-holes some parents can be.
We get to know Jacob initially during his stint in Korea, with his new young wife and his best friend, the cemetery caretaker, toughing it out together back home through ridicule and disdain (for being different), until time for Jacob to finally come home.
What happens next I'll leave unsaid since it's best to discover some things when you read the book. Twists and turns that have made my weekend reading and ignoring household chores all very much worth the while, I will say!
A depiction of true friendship, true honor, true love, and what true a-holes some parents can be.
We get to know Jacob initially during his stint in Korea, with his new young wife and his best friend, the cemetery caretaker, toughing it out together back home through ridicule and disdain (for being different), until time for Jacob to finally come home.
What happens next I'll leave unsaid since it's best to discover some things when you read the book. Twists and turns that have made my weekend reading and ignoring household chores all very much worth the while, I will say!
April 5, 2024
Lovely novel about personal integrity and the power of love by one of my favorite authors. I thought it was an unusually uplifting take for Rash, who tends to write bleaker stories. I’d call this “Ron Rash-lite.”
Very engrossing and hard to put down. As with any Ron Rash book, I highly recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for an ARC of this novel.
Very engrossing and hard to put down. As with any Ron Rash book, I highly recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for an ARC of this novel.
February 26, 2024
A new favorite for me! Lots of tears!
This is an amazing love story told in a tender thoughtful voice.
My heart went out to Jacob and Naomi, but in the end it poured out to Blackburn! ❤️
This is an amazing love story told in a tender thoughtful voice.
My heart went out to Jacob and Naomi, but in the end it poured out to Blackburn! ❤️
October 3, 2023
(3.8) I am not the happiest person you may come across, so when I read, I tend to want the books to imitate my own point of view on life. I want the characters to go through pain, to deal with their issues the only way they know how to and not to necessarily come out on the other side happy or have a happy ending.
From my experience, Rash tends to have characters that come from a troubled upbringing or a troubled circumstance that made them who they are. "The Caretaker" does not defer from that, by any means. What I learned from this and agree with - people are greedy and tend to serve their own needs. What they think they lost, they always try to hold on to, no matter the consequences.
Even though this didn't end like I truly wanted it to, I can admire the writing, prose and character development and enjoyed it overall.
From my experience, Rash tends to have characters that come from a troubled upbringing or a troubled circumstance that made them who they are. "The Caretaker" does not defer from that, by any means. What I learned from this and agree with - people are greedy and tend to serve their own needs. What they think they lost, they always try to hold on to, no matter the consequences.
Even though this didn't end like I truly wanted it to, I can admire the writing, prose and character development and enjoyed it overall.
November 11, 2023
This will be a brief review. The Caretaker is one of those books where a lie is told early on and you just hold your breath until the lie is exposed. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 at the end of the book, because when the book kicked in, it held fast my attention, especially at the end.
November 3, 2023
Excellent! Now I have to read his other books.
August 17, 2023
Absolutely goddamn gorgeous, The Caretaker is a classic in the making. This is a really special novel that captures the heart of small town, mid-century America.
Jacob, heir to a small fortune, married hotel maid Naomi against his parents wishes. After being disinherited, he's sent off to Korea to fight, leaving his pregnant wife under the watch of his best friend, Blackburn. Caretaker at the local cemetery, Blackburn has been disfigured by polio, making him something of an outsider in town, but he provides perfect care and companionship for Naomi.
But, with Jacob injured in combat and on his way home, those with an axe to grind see this as the perfect opportunity to right the perceived wrongs of the past, and a shocking series of lies is about to irreparably shatter these three innocent lives.
Rash has produced an utterly heart-rending tale, people with unforgettable characters. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
One of my favourite books of this or any year.
Jacob, heir to a small fortune, married hotel maid Naomi against his parents wishes. After being disinherited, he's sent off to Korea to fight, leaving his pregnant wife under the watch of his best friend, Blackburn. Caretaker at the local cemetery, Blackburn has been disfigured by polio, making him something of an outsider in town, but he provides perfect care and companionship for Naomi.
But, with Jacob injured in combat and on his way home, those with an axe to grind see this as the perfect opportunity to right the perceived wrongs of the past, and a shocking series of lies is about to irreparably shatter these three innocent lives.
Rash has produced an utterly heart-rending tale, people with unforgettable characters. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
One of my favourite books of this or any year.
October 1, 2023
Ron Rash writes beautiful novels, and this, his latest, is one of his best. Highly literary story set against the time that has been come to be known as mid-Century, in a small Appalachian town, where everyone knows everybody and has a say on everybody's business. As events unspool, we have a true hero, Blackburn Gant, disfigured by childhood polio but best friend of Jacob, son of the town's wealthiest family who has a mind and heart of his own leading him to a true love that his parents find inappropriate. What happens to these three makes for immersive reading, and Rash fills his pages with period detail that bring the era to life. Here we have good, old fashioned storytelling with no flourishes, no tricks, no meta puzzles. Highly recommended.
October 13, 2023
“When I was ready to die on that river,” Jacob said, his voice breaking, “she was the one thing I couldn’t let go of.”
This is the second novel by this excellent storyteller that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed!
The Caretaker is set in a 1950s Appalachian town near the beginning of the Korean War. It is the story of two childhood friends, now young adults, and the challenges they each face.
Blackburn Gant, a social outcast affected by childhood polio, is now the caretaker of the church and cemetery. He lives alone in a small cottage on the church premises up the hill from the Hamptons, a wealthy family who controls the finances and social status of the town. Jacob Hampton has been the sole friend to Gant for years despite his family’s discouragement. Jacob’s parents groom their son and heir to go to college and take over the business– something that he's not interested in doing.
When Jacob elopes with Naomi against his family’s wishes, he is disinherited. However, the young couple succeed without support. More than a year later, expecting their first child, Jacob is conscripted to serve in the war. It is Gant whom Jacob relies upon to care for Naomi.
This was a good kind of emotional read. One that weaves a heart wrenching tale yet does not leave you feeling drained. I became connected with the three main characters and their plight. There’s so much packed into this short book – themes of love, sacrifice, grief, betrayal, loyalty, social expectations, and family devotion.
The only thing that kept me from giving it a higher rating was the ending. I found it quite satisfying, but it did stop abruptly.
This is a book that will stick with you long after it is finished. Definitely recommended.
This is the second novel by this excellent storyteller that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed!
The Caretaker is set in a 1950s Appalachian town near the beginning of the Korean War. It is the story of two childhood friends, now young adults, and the challenges they each face.
Blackburn Gant, a social outcast affected by childhood polio, is now the caretaker of the church and cemetery. He lives alone in a small cottage on the church premises up the hill from the Hamptons, a wealthy family who controls the finances and social status of the town. Jacob Hampton has been the sole friend to Gant for years despite his family’s discouragement. Jacob’s parents groom their son and heir to go to college and take over the business– something that he's not interested in doing.
When Jacob elopes with Naomi against his family’s wishes, he is disinherited. However, the young couple succeed without support. More than a year later, expecting their first child, Jacob is conscripted to serve in the war. It is Gant whom Jacob relies upon to care for Naomi.
This was a good kind of emotional read. One that weaves a heart wrenching tale yet does not leave you feeling drained. I became connected with the three main characters and their plight. There’s so much packed into this short book – themes of love, sacrifice, grief, betrayal, loyalty, social expectations, and family devotion.
The only thing that kept me from giving it a higher rating was the ending. I found it quite satisfying, but it did stop abruptly.
This is a book that will stick with you long after it is finished. Definitely recommended.
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