Bound On Earth

This is a message specifically for my sisters-in-law, my mother-in-law, and anyone else who reads this blog who is a regular (or even not-so-regular) book reader: last night I finished a novel called Bound On Earth. It was written by a woman named Angela Hallstrom and I think it's one of the best things I've read in ages. It's short but substantial and totally worth the 10 bucks plus shipping from Amazon. It's a novel but it's told as a series of interconnected short stories from the perspectives of different members of the Palmer family. I'm hesitant to call it LDS fiction because it isn't any of the things that are normally conjured by that label. It isn't historical fiction like The Work and The Glory, it isn't weepy stuff targeted at youth like Jack Weyland's stuff, it isn't a missionary narrative. Nor is it centered around someone's struggle with faith and the climax is all about whether or not the hero stays in the church.

The book tells the story of a wonderfully real LDS family living their lives and dealing with all the difficulties, joys, fears, mistakes, and successes that come down the line. It's faithful without being treacly, intelligent and questioning without being apostate, funny without being silly, sad without being morose. It's really, really good and I think everyone should buy it and read it.

My friend and mentor, Scott Samuelson, once told me that he reads literature in the hope that it will help him love people more. This book made me want to be more loving, more compassionate, and kinder to people. In addition to being well-written and enjoyable to read, I think that's about the highest mission a book can accomplish.



You can find the book here or here.

(And yes, mothers-in-law get access to the family library. No card required.)