Jack by Marilynne Robinson
Jack by Marilynne Robinson Jack is the fourth book in the Gilead series with this volume following Jack Boughton and his developing relationship with Della, a black Methodist high school teacher he meets in St. Louis in the 1940s. Both are children of minister fathers living during a time when it is illegal for them to be together. The plot of the story is straightfoward. Jack sees Della and the two strike up a friendship that leads to a romance, however they have to keep their affair a secret and can only really be together in public in Della's part of town, where folks may look down on the relationship, but the fear of being arrested is lessened. Jack and Della navigate these trials and Jack often fights with himself about whether or not it would be kinder and better for Della if he just left her alone. I found Jack in this book to be fearful, cowardly, and meek to the point of fault. He sees himself as a nobody and believes that others see him as even less. He is awkward and...