The Home Place by Wright Morris

What a rare jewel of a book! I don't believe I have ever experienced a book which felt more authentic.

I say "experienced" rather than "read" because half of the book communicates through words and the other half communicates through black-and-white photographs, on alternating pages. And both tell the same story, but the total impact is increased more than twice, through the conjunction of the two.

The "story" follows the events of a one-day visit of a man and his wife and their two children to "the home place" on the plains of Nebraska, where he spent his summers as a youth with his aunt and uncle. With loving attention to detail, Morris pictures (both in words and in photos) the people and the surroundings and the way of life that shaped his central character.

I grew up on the plains of Texas rather than on the plains of Nebraska, but I am old enough and rural enough that I recognize all these characters--their meandering conversations sound like the ones I listened to in my childhood, and their worn-out and rural surroundings look totally familiar. Maybe you can't really go home again, but sometimes you wish you could.

This is a short review, but that does not mean the book did not impact me deeply. I don't know if younger people or city-bred people would enjoy it, however. It might not seem as authentic or evoke so much nostalgia, but they might still perceive the genius behind it.