PlainsongPlainsong
Score Modern
What it's about
In Holt, a small town on the Colorado plains, a high school teacher tries to raise his two young sons after their depressed mother withdraws from the family. A pregnant teenage girl, thrown out by her mother, has nowhere to go. And two old bachelor brothers who have lived alone on their cattle ranch all their lives are asked to take her in.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Award finalist. It's a quiet, deeply kind novel about ordinary people making family where they find it.
You'll love it if you liked
Gilead
Olive Kitteridge
Crossing to SafetyGood to know
The dialogue has no quotation marks. It's the first of the Holt books, followed by Eventide.
By the numbers
- Readers52 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller22 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #946 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1748 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
Americanah
The Help
Pachinko
Shuggie Bain
Half of a Yellow Sun
Infinite JestExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Plainsong worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Award finalist. It ranks #1,748 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Plainsong about?
In Holt, a small town on the Colorado plains, a high school teacher tries to raise his two young sons after their depressed mother withdraws from the family. A pregnant teenage girl, thrown out by her mother, has nowhere to go. And two old bachelor brothers who have lived alone on their cattle ranch all their lives are asked to take her in.
How long does it take to read Plainsong?
About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Plainsong?
If you liked it, try Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout or Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner.