Shirley Ann Grau (1929–2020)

Why Goodreads, why? Why does your blurb for this Pulitzer Prize winning novel spell out a key plot point? The thing that shifts the whole direction of the story?

I’m not going to add my own spoilers by saying anything more about this book, other than to share a few thoughts. The Keepers of the House was written in the same year the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed and, even though I’m sure it was groundbreaking then, it’s dated now. And maybe the events in the last part of the book would have had a bigger impact if *someone* (I’m looking at you, Goodreads blurb writer) hadn’t spilled the beans. All the same, this is still well-written character driven fiction that held my attention from beginning to end, although part of that may be due to the excellent narration of the audiobook.… (más)

A sprawling and odd story of the Howlands, a family living for generations on the same plot of land somewhere in the deep South to the point of becoming a fixture of the county. Scandal surrounds widowed Will Howland, who has a Black woman as his live-in mistress and father of his children; however, most people in the county -- including Abigail, his white granddaughter from his early marriage -- know but don't openly acknowledge this. But when Abigail gets involved with a politician, will the family "secret" be acceptable in the wider society?

This book definitely had some interesting moments and made valid criticisms of hypocritical and frankly illogical behaviors/ways of thinking, although it was also a mess in terms of having a clear message or standpoint. Abigail herself both embraces and diminishes her Black relations depending on her mood. I know I am critiquing it with a 2022 (soon to be 2023) mindset, which isn't perhaps fair of a book set between the 1900s-1960s and written in the 60s. Still, I felt the ending in particular and many other parts of the book conveyed mixed messages about race and racism.

Also, while I thought it was beautifully written and evocative, so much of the "William" and "Margaret" sections were ultimately unnecessary to understanding the plot and even the characters to an extent. They set the stage all right but they didn't add much more in pages and pages and pages that couldn't be said in a few lines. Meanwhile, in other parts, years flew by with words left unsaid and actions unexplained. I wanted more of the first-person, plot-driven narration we saw in Abigail's parts (even if the plot sometimes was thin) and less of the meandering down every genealogical footpath (even though I know those were part of the tale in their own way).

I'm truly left puzzling at the end of this book. I enjoyed it overall, despite it taking me such a long time to finish (embarrassed to say how much time has passed). I'm not sure I would recommend it whole-heartedly, and I would definitely be certain to only recommend it to those with good critical thinking skills and the ability/penchant to mull things over for a while.… (más)