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Disregard my comments ... You should disregard my comments because I have not yet read Gilead. What I did do is hear Ms. Robinson read from it on the Diane Rehm show yesterday ... It was movingly and tenderly rendered by someone who thinks deeply about the human experience. I ran right out to my Barnes and Noble (sic!) and bought their last copy to give my wife. It takes a beautiful soul to write from the heart with such simplicity, such openness, such awareness of the nuances of our lives, be they simple or hopelessly complex. I thank her for trusting us, her readers, with her private thoughts. Interesting that the reviews here are so polarized. Is this a reflection of our more general polarization? But it's late, and I ramble. Kudos to Marylynne. Her humanity and love for her fellow man shine brilliantly in her prose.