Brothers K by David James Duncan

"This touching, uplifting novel spans decades of loyalty, anger, regret, and love in the lives of the Chance family. A father whose dreams of glory on a baseball field are shattered by a mill accident, A mother who clings obsessively to religion as a ward against the darkest hour of her past. Four brothers who come of age during the seismic upheavals of the sixties and who each choose their own way to deal with what the world has become. By turns uproariously funny and deeply moving, and beautifully written throughout, The Brothers K is one of the finest chronicles of our lives in many years."
~ from the back cover of the book.

Because this is a longer book than we usually read between our theme book parts, I'm notifying you of it now, so you can get a running start. My paperback copy weighs in at 645 pages, which seems like a lot, but it's a fairly quick read. Persist past the first few chapters (they're a bit of a slog) to get to the comedy and heart of the book and family.

It's been a while since I've read it, but I remember laughing out loud, crying at least once, and being riveted by the almost-current history being told through the story of this family, history that I can remember living through in a bit of a fog.

As always, if you RSVP as a "yes" and then realize you cannot be present after all, please update your attendance record on this site so that we know not to expect you. Thanks.

Photo by: Matheus Ferrero/ Unsplash