I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.
Ron Rash is a brilliant writer, but his books leave me drained. I remember being a bit shell-shocked after finishing Serena, but that couldn’t deter me from reading his new novel, The Caretaker.
Set in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, during the Korean War, the caretaker at the center of the novel is Blackburn, a young man disfigured by polio, who was given the position of caretaker at the local cemetery. He performs his work with diligence and grace. And he cares for more than just the cemetery.
Blackburn’s only friend is Jacob Hampton, the son of the well-to-do owners of the town store. Jacob is one of the few people able to look past Blackburn’s physical appearance. When Jacob is drafted, he leaves his pregnant wife, Naomi, in Blackburn’s care. This is necessary because Jacob’s parents disowned him when he married Naomi. She came from a poor farming family, was poorly educated, and they married far too young. Jacob’s parents had picked out a more respectable young woman for him and were furious when he and Naomi eloped.
When an ugly incident in town drives Naomi out of Blowing Rock, back to her father’s farm, Blackburn isn’t able to keep as close a watch on her.
Things go even farther downhill when Jacob is injured in Korea. Jacob’s parents decide to turn his injury to their advantage in order to drive the young couple apart – forever.
This novel is gorgeously written and gripping. Once again, I turned pages with a knot in my stomach, appalled at the self-centered evil of some people and the cowardly self-preservation of others. At times, even the good guys were so weak that I wanted to scream. Right and wrong became almost irrelevant. Yet through it all, Blackburn’s strength and steady moral compass held fast. Until his temptation comes. What is right and what is wrong? I don’t even know anymore. I have to trust that the caretaker knows.
Highly recommended.
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