Lila

"Marilynne Robinson first introduced readers to Lila as a minor character in the novel Gilead. In this book, Robinson fills out the details of Lila’s life. She is the wife of John Ames, a minister whose family has a long history in his hometown of Gilead, Iowa. Lila by contrast has no roots: She was abused as a child, then rescued by a woman who brought her up as part of a makeshift family of migrant workers. As an adult, Lila finds herself alone and adrift when she happens into Gilead and meets the reverend. Lila questions Ames about faith and salvation. He is both challenged and attracted by her unflinching honesty. She is touched by his tenderness. Robinson, a writer known for the spare beauty of her prose and a finely honed moral sensibility, has created an unlikely but moving love story that is filled with unexpected moments of grace."