‘Hannah Coulter’ by Wendell Berry

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Hannah Coulter narrates a beautiful story of an old woman twice widowed, who has experienced much loss yet has never been defeated. Somehow, lying at the center of her strength is the “membership”—the fact that people care for each other and, even in absence, hold each other in a kind of presence. She is practical, resilient, wise, loving, hard-working–a ‘salt-of-the earth’ type–committed to relationship, the land, and her community.

This is the third book I’ve read by Wendell Berry, all set in Port William, a fictional town in Kentucky. I’ve also read Jayber Crow and The Memory of Old Jack. I really have enjoyed his long-term exploration of the life in this town, conveying a pastoral and nostalgic tone reminiscent of an earlier time. Hannah Coulter certainly expresses the sentiment that, at the end of her life, her children have moved on to the cities and have no interest in the community where they were born and raised. This, and Berry’s obvious concern about the profound shifts in agricultural practices in the US and the disappearance of small farms, are familiar themes in Berry’s writing. Berry understands the profound connection that people have with place.

Wendell Berry’s fans will appreciate this ‘quiet’ novel in a world that seems to prefer fast-paced thrillers. Quiet is not a genre, but the word is being used in the industry lately to refer to novels that are less plot-driven and more character-driven. For me there is no reason to choose–I enjoy both styles of writing and sometimes there are gems that contain both! Quiet novel readers know that a novel doesn’t need to be fast paced to be compelling and engrossing. Strong substantive fascinating characters can make a story come alive when sometimes in a thriller the characters can seem to be mere pawns just propelling the plot forward–we know nothing about them, really.

Anne Bogel (Modern Mrs. Darcy) once included Hannah Coulter in the category “books to read when you feel that the world is falling apart.” Anne Bogel’s What Should I Read Next is a helpful podcast for readers to become aware of new titles and enjoy listening to discussions on a range of bookish topics. She interviews guests about their reading life and makes suggestions about what they might like to read next. She has a recent Episode about quiet books called: Quiet, compelling, and wildly popular novels (Episode 423) where she interviews author Susan Meissner. Incidentally, I was once a guest on her podcast a couple of years back in an Episode called: Gems across all genres (Episode 324).