Rating: 
Summary: Emotionally wrenching
Review: I wish there were half stars--I would rate this as 4.5!I liked this book very much--just slightly less than "Plainsong". In this earlier novel, Haruf tells the story of the Goodnough family over a period of eighty years. The story is not told in a totally chronological way, and there is some foreshadowing (which I usually don't like, but it *fit* here). Rather, Haruf tells the story via a series of well-crafted vignettes spanning almost an entire century, narrated mostly by Roscoe Sanders, a neighbor of Edith and Lyman Goodnough. These scenes are so detailed that one is easily able to "fill in" the intervening years. This is a spare, harsh novel about "the tie that binds" - which in this book is family. But in this case, the tie does not just bind, but almost strangles Edith, the central character. She is tied by obligation and a sort of love that never allow her to put her desires or needs above those of her father and brother. Like "Plainsong", this book takes place in Holt, Colorado. Unlike "Plainsong", Haruf used quotation marks! The characters are incredibly well-drawn and so very real. Although I was able to feel the despair of Edith's life, I never felt sorry for her, mainly because Haruf never had her express or show any self-pity. She just did what had to be done, day after day, year after year. Haruf certainly has a gift for causing the reader to have intense feelings about those who populate his books and for evoking the starkness of the Colorado plains.
Rating: 
Summary: The Tie That Binds
Review: I'll make you a bet. If you read one of Kent Haruf's novels, you will read them all. Kent Haruf is an incredible writer whose patience and observation skills build believable characters and a plot that is captivating. Edith Goodnough is a character that the reader will never forget! Her loyalty to her family, her sacrifices, her ability to meet each day with hope is testimony to the resiliency of the human spirit. What a gift Mr. Haruf's writing is to us all!
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful read
Review: Kent Haruf's novel, The Tie That Binds, is a sad, beautiful little book that ultimately has a kernal of hope buried deep within it. The fine writing and the strong voice of the narrator will carry the reader along through the story of Edith Goodnough and all her eighty years of hardship, sacrifice and small pleasures. Edith is a vivid and true creation that seems formed from the earth of the Great Plains itself. It is hard to believe that this is a first novel and it will certainly lead this reader to other novels by this author. It is a little depressing as Kent Haruf is superb at capturing the isolation of the prairies but the novel does find a way to squeeze precious drops of joy from the situation. A fine read.
Rating:
Summary: The Intimacy of the Great Plains
Review: Kent Haruf's novel, The Tie That Binds, is a sad, beautiful little book that ultimately has a kernal of hope buried deep within it. The fine writing and the strong voice of the narrator will carry the reader along through the story of Edith Goodnough and all her eighty years of hardship, sacrifice and small pleasures. Edith is a vivid and true creation that seems formed from the earth of the Great Plains itself. It is hard to believe that this is a first novel and it will certainly lead this reader to other novels by this author. It is a little depressing as Kent Haruf is superb at capturing the isolation of the prairies but the novel does find a way to squeeze precious drops of joy from the situation. A fine read.
Rating:
Summary: Small town storytelling craft delicately honed here
Review: Oh, my. Haruf has found the common fiber of small town tales. "Never married, lived with her brother" - like my grandAunt, Nellie, Miss Inez, who was a delight in my own town - these women are the stuff of the two most powerful news sources, rumor and speculation. Edith Goodnough is described lovingly; perhaps Haruf had an auntie, also? I was thrown that this was his first novel. I thought that "Where You Once Belonged" read more like "first-time out." Haruf knows his characters well, though, and I prefer to believe that he loved his "auntie", and was as terrified by his small-town hero as was I. "The Tie That Binds" is a wonderful comfort to those of us raised in and prefering small communities, and it is an accurate and honest presentation to those who do not or cannot choose this type of life.
Rating:
Summary: Small town storytelling craft delicately honed here
Review: Oh, my. Haruf has found the common fiber of small town tales. "Never married, lived with her brother" - like my grandAunt, Nellie, Miss Inez, who was a delight in my own town - these women are the stuff of the two most powerful news sources, rumor and speculation. Edith Goodnough is described lovingly; perhaps Haruf had an auntie, also? I was thrown that this was his first novel. I thought that "Where You Once Belonged" read more like "first-time out." Haruf knows his characters well, though, and I prefer to believe that he loved his "auntie", and was as terrified by his small-town hero as was I. "The Tie That Binds" is a wonderful comfort to those of us raised in and prefering small communities, and it is an accurate and honest presentation to those who do not or cannot choose this type of life.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful First Novel
Review: Something unusual happened when I was about half way through 'The Ties That Bind'...I misplaced my copy of the book. A couple of months later, when I found it again and resumed reading it, I was amazed to find that it was as though I'd never been away from Haruf's wonderful creation. Like many people, I had read Haruf's most recent work, 'Plainsong', been utterly captivated and immediately ordered his previous novels. While 'The Ties That Bind' does not have the same depth of skill as 'Plainsong' the gap between the two novels is slight. Haruf's tale of Sanders Roscoe and his neighbor Edith Goodnough and her demanding family is spare and haunting. Haruf's characters are so real, so genuine and alive that the reader can't help but develop an empathy for them that is rare in fiction today. Although lacking the depth and finesse of 'Plainsong', 'The Ties That Bind' is a wonderful first novel.
Rating:
Summary: You FELT the emotions of this book...
Review: The author did a great job of conveying the frustration and loneliness of the characters. The voice of the story-teller was hard to follow occasionally, but overall I would encourage the reading of this book.
Rating:
Summary: You FELT the emotions of this book...
Review: The author did a great job of conveying the frustration and loneliness of the characters. The voice of the story-teller was hard to follow occasionally, but overall I would encourage the reading of this book.
Rating:
Summary: Even Better Than Plainsong
Review: The first book I read from Kent Haruf was Plainsong, which I thought was one of the best books of the year. The Tie That Binds, however, may be even better. It's bleak simplicity, as stark as the Colorado plains in which it takes place, assaults the reader slowly and steadily, unrelenting, but sublime and oh so human. The story of Sanders Roscoe and his neighbors Edith and Lyman Goodnough is heartbreaking and inevitable. Told by Roscoe in a voice as authentic as any I've ever heard, the tale unwinds slowly and passionately. I can imagine sitting in Roscoe's house listening to him tell his side of the story with the rapt attention he demands and deserves. Like Plainsong, the book is full of characters who, with the exception of Edith's father, straddle the line between heroism and villanry. No one is without blame or imperfections, regardless of their intentions. Haruf obviously understands life in Holt, Colorado, and does a wonderful job of conveying it to the reader. Likewise, he knows people and the characters in this book jump off the pages with honesty and realness. An excellent book and another reason to delve deeper into the Haruf portfolio of fine books.
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