Plainsong (Holt, Colorado 1) by Kent Haruf

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Description edit see section history

"Ambitious, but never seeming so, Kent Haruf reveals a whole community as he interweaves the stories of a pregnant high school girl, a lonely teacher, a pair of boys abandoned by their mother, and a couple of crusty bachelor farmers. From simple elements, Haruf achieves a novel of wisdom and... read more

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Characters edit see section history

Tom Guthrie: A schoolteacher in the small town of Holt, Colorado.
Ike and Bobby Guthrie: Sons of Tom Guthrie, 10 and 9 years old
Victoria Roubideaux: One of Tom Guthrie's teenage pupils
Raymond and Harold McPheron: Two bachelor brothers who own a nearby farm
Maggie Jones: Another local schoolteacher
Ella Guthrie: Tom Guthrie's troubled wife, mother to Ike and Bobby
Beckman: Father to Russell Beckman
Mrs. Beckman: Brassy, bossy mother of Russell Beckman
Lloyd Crowder: Principal of the Holt high school where Tom Guthrie and Maggie Jones teach
Mrs. Iva Stearns: Kindly, but rough-around-the-edges, old lady on the Guthrie boys' paper route
Judy: Holt high school secretary
Dr. Martin: Local doctor in Holt
Dwayne: Victoria's boyfriend
Russell Beckman: Red-haired basketball player, bad student and local troublemaker at Holt high school
Murphy kid: Russell Beckman's loser sidekick friend
Dick Sherman: Local veterinarian

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First Sentence edit see section history

Here was this man Tom Guthrie in Holt standing at the back window in the kitchen of his house smoking cigarettes and looking out over the back lot where the sun was just coming up.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Guthrie.
Victoria Roubideaux.
Ike and Bobby.
Guthrie.
Victoria Roubideaux.
Ike and Bobby.
Victoria Roubideaux.
Ike and Bobby.
Victoria Roubideaux.
Ike and Bobby.
McPherons.
Victoria Roubideaux.
Guthrie.
Ike and Bobby.
Victoria Roubideaux.
Ike and Bobby.
McPherons.
Ella.
Victoria Roubideaux.
McPherons.
Guthrie.
Ike and Bobby.
Guthrie.
Victoria Roubideaux.
Ike and Bobby.
McPherons.
Guthrie.
Victoria Roubideaux.
McPherons.
Guthrie.
Victoria Roubideaux.
McPherons.
Ike and Bobby.
Maggie Jones.
Victoria Roubideaux.
McPherons.
Ike and Bobby.
Guthrie.
McPherons.
Ike and Bobby.
Victoria Roubideaux.
Ike and Bobby.
McPherons.
Holt

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1 of 3 in Holt, Colorado. (standard series)

Followed by Eventide.

This book is in Book Lover's Cook Book, The. (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

Kent Haruf (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Country: United States
Publication Date: 1999
ISBN: 0-375-40618-2
Page Count: 301

Awards edit see section history

Alex Awards (2000)
National Book Award (Finalist, 1999: Fiction)
Mountain and Plains Bookseller Award (2000: Fiction)

Classification edit see section history

Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
Dewey: 813.54

Subjects edit see section history

Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › Family Saga
Books › Literature & Fiction › Literary
Books › Literature & Fiction › Contemporary

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Plainsong (1999) (edit title/settings)

by Kent Haruf (Author) (edit contributors)