Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
July's Reading Guide & Schedule
Join us for Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
Our next book on The Reader and the Writer is a deeply moving novel by Marilynne Robinson: Housekeeping.
Shari Dragovich and I are excited to begin our July read, and we hope you’ll join us! Our first episode airs July 1st.
Every word Robinson writes is complex, purposeful, and powerful. From the opening lines of this story, you’ll be swept into a steady current of discovery.
"My name is Ruth. I grew up with my younger sister, Lucille, under the care of my grandmother, Mrs. Sylvia Foster, and when she died, of her sisters-in-law, Misses Lily and Nona Foster, and when they fled, of her daughter, Miss Sylvie Fisher. Through all these generations of elders we lived in one house, my grandmother’s house, built for her by my grandfather, an employee of the railroad, who escaped this world years before I entered it."
~ excerpt from Housekeeping | Chapter 1
About the Book (Courtesy of Goodreads)
A modern classic, Housekeeping is the story of Ruth and her younger sister, Lucille, who grow up haphazardly, first under the care of their competent grandmother, then of two comically bumbling great-aunts, and finally of Sylvie, their eccentric and remote aunt. The family house is in the small Far West town of Fingerbone set on a glacial lake, the same lake where their grandfather died in a spectacular train wreck, and their mother drove off a cliff to her death. It is a town "chastened by an outsized landscape and extravagant weather, and chastened again by an awareness that the whole of human history had occurred elsewhere." Ruth and Lucille's struggle toward adulthood beautifully illuminates the price of loss and survival, and the dangerous and deep undertow of transience.
Connections to War & Peace & Craft
If you’re also reading War and Peace with us, pay attention to how these two novels quietly speak to one another. As you read, consider closely examining:
how each author explores nature symbolically
how isolation shapes their characters,
how the authors use metaphor to deepen the reader’s experience of place within the novel
Write with Us | Stretching the Imagination
This month, we invite you to engage with us in a new way—by stretching our imaginations and exploring what it means to write about place.
Each bookmark includes a writing prompt inspired by the novel. We hope to foster a welcoming space where we can encourage one another to put pen to paper.
Let’s Share the Journey!
Both Shari and I would love to hear your thoughts on Housekeeping as we go along. Feel free to post your insights, questions, or share snippets of writing in the chat thread—it’s always more fun when we do it together! Let’s chat in the comments or join our chat thread on The Reader & the Writer Page.
~Rhea & Shari
Reading Schedule & Resources
Bookmarks
Each bookmark includes reading and writing prompts, plus a QR code that links directly to our chat thread, making it easier to stay connected.
Interviews & Articles
Conversations: Marilynne Robinson | Iowa Writer’s Workshop
Robinson reflects on her writing process, how her characters come to her, and her deep love for teaching writing.
Story, Culture, and the Common Good | Trinity Forum (Zoom interview)
In this interview, Robinson discusses beauty, reading old books, her appreciation for Calvin, and so much more! This is one of my favorite interviews.
“Marilynne Robinson’s Essential American Stories” | by Casey Cep, New Yorker Magazine (article)
On Writing | Videos & Book Recommendation
We’ve included two engrossing videos and a book recommendation, each offering insight into the writing process and the power of language.
“The Most Beautiful Conversations about Language” | David Perell interviews Robert Macfarlane
“Ray Bradbury on the Best Training for Writing Novels” | I found this on Substack Notes
Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life by Maggie Smith | I found this book incredibly helpful in my writing exploration.
Need a Copy of Housekeeping?
Here are a couple of options:
If you enjoyed Housekeeping, check out our episodes on North Woods by Daniel Mason or Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.
Love this book and author. Haven’t read in years though!
For anyone interested, here is the chat thread for Housekeeping. We hope you will join us in journaling about place this month. If you're nervous about sharing your writing--me, too-- but let's do it anyway!
https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/40b1ec37-6e51-44b1-8b6e-5accc9435a5d