
As an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner, Menrva Books earns from qualifying purchases. Learn more
One summer, a young woman travels with her lover to the isolated tobacco farm he has inherited after his family dies in a terrible accident. As Orren works to save his family farm from drought, Aloma struggles with the loneliness of farm life and must find her way in a combative, erotically-charged relationship with a grieving, taciturn man. A budding friendship with a handsome and dynamic young preacher further complicates her growing sense of dissatisfaction. As she considers whether to stay with Orren or to leave, she grapples with the finality of loss and death, and the eternal question of whether it is better to fight for freedom or submit to love.All the Living has the timeless quality of a parable, but is also a perfect evocation of a time and place, a portrait of both age-old conflicts and modern life. It is an ode to the starve-acre Southern farm, the mountain landscape, and difficult love. In her lyrical and moving debut novel, C.E. Morgan recalls both the serenity of Marilynne Robinson and the shifting emotional currents and unashamed eroticism of James Salter. It is an unforgettable book from a major new voice.
A young woman faces a profound existential crisis when she moves to a remote, drought-stricken tobacco farm with her grieving lover. Aloma attempts to navigate the suffocating isolation of the landscape while managing a volatile, erotically charged relationship with Orren, a man haunted by the sudden loss of his family. As the farm struggles to survive, the arrival of a charismatic preacher forces Aloma to confront her own desires and the limitations of her commitment. The narrative, presented with a lyrical intensity, examines the tension between the necessity of personal freedom and the pull of domestic devotion.
This novel is frequently noted for its atmospheric density and the precision of its prose, which captures the harsh realities of rural life. Critics often highlight the author's ability to balance the internal emotional landscape of the protagonist with the external pressures of the environment. The work is recognized for its thematic depth, particularly regarding the nature of love and the weight of inherited trauma. Readers often respond to the deliberate, meditative pacing that defines the narrative experience. The book stands as a significant exploration of human isolation and the complexities of intimate relationships.
Page Count:
199
Publication Date:
2009-01-01
Publisher:
Ferrar Straus & Giroux
ISBN-10:
0007305958
ISBN-13:
9780007305957
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!