The word benediction is defined as the utterance of a blessing, an invocation of blessedness.Kent Haruf’s new novel, “Benediction” is truly all of that.
After Dad Lewis is diagnosed with terminal cancer his wife, Mary, works to keep him as comfortable as possible.Although their daughter, Lorraine, comes back from Denver to help care for him, her devotion does not fill the hole left in the family by the absence of their estranged son, Frank.
Next door, a young girl moves in with her grandmother after the death of her mother.An elderly widow and her middle-aged daughter strive to provide help and support to both the young girl and the Lewis family.
In his spare, poetic prose, Haruf tells a story of death and life, and explores the bonds that tie individuals together.“Benediction” savors the fullness of life and the myriad hopes and dreams that allow us to move forward through the uncertainties and challenges of living.