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Prudence
A haunting and unforgettable novel about love, loss, race, and desire in World War II-era America. On a sweltering day in August 1942, Frankie Washburn returns to his family's rustic Minnesota resort for one last visit before he joins the war as a bombardier, headed for the darkened skies over Europe. Awaiting him at the Pines are those he's about to leave behind: his hovering mother; the distant father to whom he's been a disappointment; the Indian caretaker who's been more of a father to him than his own; and Billy, the childhood friend who over the years has become something much more intimate. But before the homecoming can be celebrated, the search for a German soldier, escaped from the POW camp across the river, explodes in a shocking act of violence, with consequences that will reverberate years into the future for all of them and that will shape how each of them makes sense of their lives. With Prudence, Treuer delivers his most ambitious and captivating novel yet. Powerful and wholly original, it's a story of desire and loss and the search for connection in a riven world; of race and class in a supposedly more innocent era. Most profoundly, it's about the secrets we choose to keep, the ones we can't help but tell, and who--and how--we're allowed to love.
253 pages, Hardcover
First published February 5, 2015
68 people are currently reading
2036 people want to read
About the author
David Treuer
13 books420 followersDavid Treuer is an Ojibwe Indian from Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. He is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the NEH, Bush Foundation, and the Guggenheim Foundation. He divides his time between his home on the Leech Lake Reservation and Minneapolis. He is the author of three novels and a book of criticism. His essays and stories have appeared in Esquire, TriQuarterly, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Lucky Peach, the LA Times, and Slate.com.
Treuer published his first novel, Little, in 1995. He received his PhD in anthropology and published his second novel, The Hiawatha, in 1999. His third novel The Translation of Dr Apelles and a book of criticism, Native American Fiction; A User's Manual appeared in 2006. The Translation of Dr Apelles was named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, Time Out, and City Pages. REZ LIFE is his newest book and is now out in paperback with Grove Press.
Treuer published his first novel, Little, in 1995. He received his PhD in anthropology and published his second novel, The Hiawatha, in 1999. His third novel The Translation of Dr Apelles and a book of criticism, Native American Fiction; A User's Manual appeared in 2006. The Translation of Dr Apelles was named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, Time Out, and City Pages. REZ LIFE is his newest book and is now out in paperback with Grove Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
July 8, 2023
David Treuer's Prudence is tragic and haunting, and most of all, full of longing.
The characters are all longing for connection, and whether through circumstance or war or gender or societal taboos or downright racism, they are denied.
There's so much here in this novel set in 1942 Minnesota. There's WWII, there's Native American people and experience, there are two best friends who love each other but shouldn't, there's a pair of sisters in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I feel only admiration for the writing of this novel and the spirit behind it.
I did, however, have my own longings that went unrequited. I wished for more forward lean, more propulsion to the plot. Most of the "action" takes place in the beginning, and afterwards it seemed to me followed a great deal of exposition and reflection. Echoes and disintegration. Maybe that was the point, to create a cumulative effect. But for me, it made for a slightly less engaging read.
(Not sure if it's fair, but if I compare it to Caribou Island, which was on a speedboat where propulsion is concerned, Prudence paddled along in a well-crafted canoe.)
I'm intrigued and impressed by this author and hope he writes more fiction - I'll read whatever he comes out with next.
The characters are all longing for connection, and whether through circumstance or war or gender or societal taboos or downright racism, they are denied.
There's so much here in this novel set in 1942 Minnesota. There's WWII, there's Native American people and experience, there are two best friends who love each other but shouldn't, there's a pair of sisters in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I feel only admiration for the writing of this novel and the spirit behind it.
I did, however, have my own longings that went unrequited. I wished for more forward lean, more propulsion to the plot. Most of the "action" takes place in the beginning, and afterwards it seemed to me followed a great deal of exposition and reflection. Echoes and disintegration. Maybe that was the point, to create a cumulative effect. But for me, it made for a slightly less engaging read.
(Not sure if it's fair, but if I compare it to Caribou Island, which was on a speedboat where propulsion is concerned, Prudence paddled along in a well-crafted canoe.)
I'm intrigued and impressed by this author and hope he writes more fiction - I'll read whatever he comes out with next.
December 24, 2018
I came back to this novel for a second read after reading and being some-kind-of-overwhelmed by Treuer's book of literary criticism, Native American Criticism: A User's Guide.
There are only a few other novelists I can think of where their literary criticism so strongly affects how I receive their fiction. Cynthia Ozick is another one, and Susan Sontag. All three of these authors are doing much more than following their Muse when they write fiction. A big part of their creative writing method has to do with laying out theme and thesis, and their fiction becomes, in part, a way to support a world view.
Treuer's world view here is one where humans have moral agency, and where inaction can be as immoral and consequential as overt wrongdoing. The characters feel true--in particular the male characters do--and the novel weaves a tragic relentless morality play of how both sins of commission and sins of omission taint the lives of everyone who comes too close.
On my second read of this novel I tried to put aside my somewhat simplistic reaction last time, where I was distracted and defeated by the sexual violence portrayed here as well as the somewhat two-dimensional characterization of women characters. While I still feel clear-eyed about my dislike of these aspects I can't ignore the moral clarity of this story, and the thoughtful treatment of the many questions that this novel bravely raises.
======
Ok, I really didn't care this book the first time I read it, mostly because of the violence toward women that at times was too much for me...so I tried to figure out what was going on with David Treuer to have written it, and found this amazing, clear headed review about his intentions:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifesty...
Everything Treuer said in this interview points to his empathy for the helpless and the victimized. But how could this particular novel have been the result of these very moral, very good intentions? I'm reading for a second time to figure that out.
There are only a few other novelists I can think of where their literary criticism so strongly affects how I receive their fiction. Cynthia Ozick is another one, and Susan Sontag. All three of these authors are doing much more than following their Muse when they write fiction. A big part of their creative writing method has to do with laying out theme and thesis, and their fiction becomes, in part, a way to support a world view.
Treuer's world view here is one where humans have moral agency, and where inaction can be as immoral and consequential as overt wrongdoing. The characters feel true--in particular the male characters do--and the novel weaves a tragic relentless morality play of how both sins of commission and sins of omission taint the lives of everyone who comes too close.
On my second read of this novel I tried to put aside my somewhat simplistic reaction last time, where I was distracted and defeated by the sexual violence portrayed here as well as the somewhat two-dimensional characterization of women characters. While I still feel clear-eyed about my dislike of these aspects I can't ignore the moral clarity of this story, and the thoughtful treatment of the many questions that this novel bravely raises.
======
Ok, I really didn't care this book the first time I read it, mostly because of the violence toward women that at times was too much for me...so I tried to figure out what was going on with David Treuer to have written it, and found this amazing, clear headed review about his intentions:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifesty...
Everything Treuer said in this interview points to his empathy for the helpless and the victimized. But how could this particular novel have been the result of these very moral, very good intentions? I'm reading for a second time to figure that out.
April 13, 2017
3 1/2 stars
This book is about a motley group of people in Northern Minnesota whose lives are forever intertwined from a tragic, violent incident in the summer of 1944. It starts when Frankie comes from Chicago to The Pines, the resort that his parents own/run, for one last summer celebration before going off to the Airforce and then to fight in WWII in Europe. We have his Chicago-based parents, Emma and Jonathan, their longtime Indian handyman, Felix, Frankie's childhood friends Billy, Ernie and David. Oh and there is a German prisoner/detention camp across the river and Indians from the village whose lives intersect in a number of ways with the white people who own The Pines. The story starts in this August of 1944 and ends in August of 1952.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was a very slow start while being introduced to the characters in chapters told from the various individual's point of view. Once the foundation was established and the tragic incident took place, I was turning pages to find out what happened to everyone and how their lives played out. I really liked the writing, framed around the multiple viewpoints where we learned both about the present as well as the past through the experience of the different characters. The weather and environment were characters in themselves and were made exceptionally vivid. Several times drum dances and ceremonies were mentioned, and I thought there was a drum-like rhythm to Treuer's writing that lulled me along. I should mention that Treuer is from the Ojibway Indian tribe, growing up near the locale of this book.
On the other hand, there was much that I could guess as Treuer was unfolding the story and the ending seemed tacked on and was wholly unsatisfying to me. Interestingly, these factors did not spoil my overall experience with this book. Treuer gets a lot right about people and how one incident can bind the lives of several people together in dramatic ways.
This book is about a motley group of people in Northern Minnesota whose lives are forever intertwined from a tragic, violent incident in the summer of 1944. It starts when Frankie comes from Chicago to The Pines, the resort that his parents own/run, for one last summer celebration before going off to the Airforce and then to fight in WWII in Europe. We have his Chicago-based parents, Emma and Jonathan, their longtime Indian handyman, Felix, Frankie's childhood friends Billy, Ernie and David. Oh and there is a German prisoner/detention camp across the river and Indians from the village whose lives intersect in a number of ways with the white people who own The Pines. The story starts in this August of 1944 and ends in August of 1952.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was a very slow start while being introduced to the characters in chapters told from the various individual's point of view. Once the foundation was established and the tragic incident took place, I was turning pages to find out what happened to everyone and how their lives played out. I really liked the writing, framed around the multiple viewpoints where we learned both about the present as well as the past through the experience of the different characters. The weather and environment were characters in themselves and were made exceptionally vivid. Several times drum dances and ceremonies were mentioned, and I thought there was a drum-like rhythm to Treuer's writing that lulled me along. I should mention that Treuer is from the Ojibway Indian tribe, growing up near the locale of this book.
On the other hand, there was much that I could guess as Treuer was unfolding the story and the ending seemed tacked on and was wholly unsatisfying to me. Interestingly, these factors did not spoil my overall experience with this book. Treuer gets a lot right about people and how one incident can bind the lives of several people together in dramatic ways.
March 8, 2015
So, I was listening to NPR. Their critic really liked ‘Prudence: A Novel’. Then, I googled the book and I discovered Washington Post, LA Times, etc. have all reviewed this book. Their literary critics were impressed by it and wrote positive reviews. Excellent. I fired up my ‘Overdrive’ app, logged on to my local library’s website, and I requested that they consider purchasing this novel as an ebook, and asked that I be placed on their checkout list.
A few weeks ago my library notified me they had purchased the book and it was available to be downloaded. I was excited. Yesterday I finished reading it.
Meh.
When professional critics and I do not see eye to eye, I admit I doubt my opinion. For a second. Then I remember I was a secretary and not a literary critic. I am free to be ignorantly blind to a book’s charms without shame.
The book is well-written, and the subject material is potentially awesome. However, I found the story leaden.
The book opens with a prologue scene in a Minnesota town, Bena, which takes place in 1952, near a reservation. A native woman’s body is discovered in her room above the Wigwam Bar. The body is identified as Prudence. She was pregnant, but her unborn baby dies with her having never taken a breath, much less seen the light of day. Unfortunately, this symbolic stillbirth and death applies not only to what I suspect was the author’s theme about certain minority issues, but to the novel as well, IMO.
The scene next moves back in time to August, 1942. The Washburns, a white couple, bought land in 1923 across from an Indian reservation and next to a beautiful lake and river. They own tourist cabins along with a mainhouse, which they named The Pines. The Washburns arrive and open up for business every summer. They have an Indian caretaker, Felix, who makes sure the cabins and surrounding grounds are clean and fixed up year-round for the summer guests. They also hire Indian girls as maids, but they are mystified by their employees even as the pat themselves on the back for their virtue of having hired natives.
Emma Washburn loves The Pines, but her husband Jonathan, who is a physician, is reluctant to become too involved with running the business. He apparently has withdrawn from running his family, as well. He finds his wife annoying (so do I) and he is disappointed in his ‘weak’ son (he cannot find any common ground). He has no interest in The Pines. Frankie, their son, is soon to arrive, having graduated from Princeton and after a short visit at The Pines for a couple of weeks, will be heading to Montgomery, Alabama, for aviation cadet training and then to Europe and the war.
Another young man is anxiously waiting for Frankie’s arrival. Billy, a Native-American, is in love, but it is not a happy love. Frankie and Billy have never talked about it, but years before, when they were still boys, they had discovered a mutual attraction and affection for each other. Billy’s life begins when Frankie arrives in the summer; however, it seems to the reader there is no future for them. There is no introspection, no planning, nothing promised. They meet in the summer, work together around The Pines, and then the Washburns leave for their real home and life. This particular summer may be the last one for them for some time - Frankie will soon be an officer for the Air Force. Their relationship is a secret, almost to themselves as much as to the world.
There is a camp for German prisoners across the river, but after a flurry of character concern regarding an escaped prisoner, the anxiety goes nowhere quickly, even after a horrific turn of events precipitated by the escape
I wanted to like this novel, and I expected to like it. However, after a promising start, it becomes as dead as Prudence’s pregnancy in the prologue. Many reviewers speak of its quiet tone, but to me, the absence of much dialogue or internal introspection, and the dull lackluster atmosphere which never lifts, killed my interest.
A few weeks ago my library notified me they had purchased the book and it was available to be downloaded. I was excited. Yesterday I finished reading it.
Meh.
When professional critics and I do not see eye to eye, I admit I doubt my opinion. For a second. Then I remember I was a secretary and not a literary critic. I am free to be ignorantly blind to a book’s charms without shame.
The book is well-written, and the subject material is potentially awesome. However, I found the story leaden.
The book opens with a prologue scene in a Minnesota town, Bena, which takes place in 1952, near a reservation. A native woman’s body is discovered in her room above the Wigwam Bar. The body is identified as Prudence. She was pregnant, but her unborn baby dies with her having never taken a breath, much less seen the light of day. Unfortunately, this symbolic stillbirth and death applies not only to what I suspect was the author’s theme about certain minority issues, but to the novel as well, IMO.
The scene next moves back in time to August, 1942. The Washburns, a white couple, bought land in 1923 across from an Indian reservation and next to a beautiful lake and river. They own tourist cabins along with a mainhouse, which they named The Pines. The Washburns arrive and open up for business every summer. They have an Indian caretaker, Felix, who makes sure the cabins and surrounding grounds are clean and fixed up year-round for the summer guests. They also hire Indian girls as maids, but they are mystified by their employees even as the pat themselves on the back for their virtue of having hired natives.
Emma Washburn loves The Pines, but her husband Jonathan, who is a physician, is reluctant to become too involved with running the business. He apparently has withdrawn from running his family, as well. He finds his wife annoying (so do I) and he is disappointed in his ‘weak’ son (he cannot find any common ground). He has no interest in The Pines. Frankie, their son, is soon to arrive, having graduated from Princeton and after a short visit at The Pines for a couple of weeks, will be heading to Montgomery, Alabama, for aviation cadet training and then to Europe and the war.
Another young man is anxiously waiting for Frankie’s arrival. Billy, a Native-American, is in love, but it is not a happy love. Frankie and Billy have never talked about it, but years before, when they were still boys, they had discovered a mutual attraction and affection for each other. Billy’s life begins when Frankie arrives in the summer; however, it seems to the reader there is no future for them. There is no introspection, no planning, nothing promised. They meet in the summer, work together around The Pines, and then the Washburns leave for their real home and life. This particular summer may be the last one for them for some time - Frankie will soon be an officer for the Air Force. Their relationship is a secret, almost to themselves as much as to the world.
There is a camp for German prisoners across the river, but after a flurry of character concern regarding an escaped prisoner, the anxiety goes nowhere quickly, even after a horrific turn of events precipitated by the escape
I wanted to like this novel, and I expected to like it. However, after a promising start, it becomes as dead as Prudence’s pregnancy in the prologue. Many reviewers speak of its quiet tone, but to me, the absence of much dialogue or internal introspection, and the dull lackluster atmosphere which never lifts, killed my interest.
November 7, 2015
Seems like a half-formed book that didn't get out of draft mode. I was already familiar with author David Treuer after picking up his book 'Rez Life' (which I still haven't read, oops). As part of my Goodreads challenge to clear out my books I thought I'd pick up this fictional tale of his. It's meant to check off the "Culture Vulture" task by reading a book of Native American literature, although it's not on the list of books. Whatever, it's another book out of my pile. :)
Presumably the book is the story of Frankie Washburn, a young man preparing to ship off to serve in World War II. He will leave behind his anxious mother, his cold and distant father, an Indian caretaker and his childhood friend who is much more. But the disappearance of a German prisoner of war sets in motion events that will affect the lives of the Washburn family and the others connected to them.
But...that isn't really what the book is about. The disappearance of the POW is merely a minor plot event to serve as bookends for the beginning and the end of the book. It's really not a part of the plot in any way, shape or form, at least not in the way the back cover synopsis reads. I thought the book started off well, with an intriguing and sad story of a the death of a young Indian woman and her baby, and was willing to give the author a pass at first because I thought he was trying hard to establish the setting and time and characters. It seemed VERY slow when he does this but I was willing to work though it and see where he went.
But instead we are treated to a mishmash of half-formed characters (some of whom disappear almost completely towards the end), time skips, flashbacks and one plot thread that I actually didn't really understand how it tied to the main story. When I closed the book I was left with more questions as to what exactly happened or why we were supposed to care about a couple of characters or what the reader was supposed to get out of it.
There were some really interesting places for the author to go: such as the deaths of the young Indian women that get little to no notice, the parallels of Jews and Native Americans, etc. But as I wrote, the book seemed half-formed. I thought it was just me since I got an ARC someone was giving away but based on reviews elsewhere, it seems I'm not the only one.
There are scenes of various graphic nature: the description of a dead body that has been rotting for about 3 days (it's definitely been out and exposed to the elements), consensual and some not consensual sexual activity, masturbation, general violence (shootings, war scenes, etc.). I did not feel extremely bothered by the descriptions except for perhaps the dead body (it just seemed gross) but just thought it would be a heads up for any readers going into this.
Glad I didn't buy it. I'm not going to be put off reading his 'Rez Life' since that's non-fiction anyway but I can't recommend this one.
Presumably the book is the story of Frankie Washburn, a young man preparing to ship off to serve in World War II. He will leave behind his anxious mother, his cold and distant father, an Indian caretaker and his childhood friend who is much more. But the disappearance of a German prisoner of war sets in motion events that will affect the lives of the Washburn family and the others connected to them.
But...that isn't really what the book is about. The disappearance of the POW is merely a minor plot event to serve as bookends for the beginning and the end of the book. It's really not a part of the plot in any way, shape or form, at least not in the way the back cover synopsis reads. I thought the book started off well, with an intriguing and sad story of a the death of a young Indian woman and her baby, and was willing to give the author a pass at first because I thought he was trying hard to establish the setting and time and characters. It seemed VERY slow when he does this but I was willing to work though it and see where he went.
But instead we are treated to a mishmash of half-formed characters (some of whom disappear almost completely towards the end), time skips, flashbacks and one plot thread that I actually didn't really understand how it tied to the main story. When I closed the book I was left with more questions as to what exactly happened or why we were supposed to care about a couple of characters or what the reader was supposed to get out of it.
There were some really interesting places for the author to go: such as the deaths of the young Indian women that get little to no notice, the parallels of Jews and Native Americans, etc. But as I wrote, the book seemed half-formed. I thought it was just me since I got an ARC someone was giving away but based on reviews elsewhere, it seems I'm not the only one.
There are scenes of various graphic nature: the description of a dead body that has been rotting for about 3 days (it's definitely been out and exposed to the elements), consensual and some not consensual sexual activity, masturbation, general violence (shootings, war scenes, etc.). I did not feel extremely bothered by the descriptions except for perhaps the dead body (it just seemed gross) but just thought it would be a heads up for any readers going into this.
Glad I didn't buy it. I'm not going to be put off reading his 'Rez Life' since that's non-fiction anyway but I can't recommend this one.
January 19, 2015
A book can make a difference in dispelling prejudice through stories authors create that make us imagine the lives of others. A good story lets you discover people as individuals in all their peculiarity and conflict; and once you see someone as a person—flawed, complex, striving—you’ve reached beyond stereotype. Author David Truer, professor at the University of Southern California, is an Ojibwe Indian from Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota and examines the role of cultural stereotyping through his new novel, PRUDENCE. Set in Northern Minnesota during World War II he masterfully constructs a world where the strain of stereotypes is countered by characters that are authentic and real. His powers of description are such that all of your senses are never anything but fully engaged. Small town life in the 1940's - summers on the water, the thick dark of a moonless summer night - through the horrors of the Second World War and beyond. Great storytelling, sympathetic and beautifully realized characters. I highly recommend it.
January 17, 2015
Another book that disappointed me. I was very intrigued to see how the author's point of view on the WWII era involving the Indians and Germans. Seeing as to the author is Ojibwe. I thought he would have a great point of view. I got about half way and this was a long fought half way and sadly put the book down. The authors were alright but they did not pull me in. In fact the first half of the story was hazy. I can't remember what happened. The characters are unmemorable. There was not much happening in the first half. The meat of the story seemed to come in the middle but again without memorable characters and there was a lot of cursing that I was not expecting, I could not keep reading. This story was more fluffy then I was expecting I wanted more hard core substance.
March 5, 2015
This is a quiet book, as quiet as the isolated Minnesota woods that serve as its main setting, filled with all the hurts and fears the characters can't bring themselves to voice.
The book opens in 1952: a woman named Prudence is found dead in a room above a bar. We don't know who she is or how she died. To find out, we'll have to journey back ten years, to the fateful day when Prudence first appeared in the village and her life became inextricably tangled up with Frankie Washburn's.
In August 1942, Frankie has two weeks to spend at his parents' summer resort in rural Minnesota before heading off to the war. He's been looking forward to the visit despite his cold and distant father and hovering, fretting mother because it's a chance to see Billy, his childhood friend who over the years secretly became something more. Before they have a chance for a real reunion, though, a rash decision leads to tragedy. Suddenly, Frankie can't look anyone in the eye—not his parents, not his old friend Felix, the Native caretaker of the property, and especially not Billy. All he can do is escape to the European front and agonize over his choices.
The perspective shifts from one character to the next until finally the full picture emerges—of what really happened that hot summer day in the woods, and of how each character's choices since then have affected them all. It's heartbreaking at times how little they understand each other, even after living for years under the same tall trees.
I'm still puzzling over the ending a bit—not because I couldn't follow what happened, but because I'm searching for a slice of redemption and not finding much. However, Treuer is undeniably a talented writer and a master of tonal shifts. Each character is etched in fine detail. That the last chapter is told in Prudence's own breathless, scarred voice surprised me—I expected her to remain an enigma—but it's absolutely fitting, and though difficult to read, hauntingly beautiful.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
The book opens in 1952: a woman named Prudence is found dead in a room above a bar. We don't know who she is or how she died. To find out, we'll have to journey back ten years, to the fateful day when Prudence first appeared in the village and her life became inextricably tangled up with Frankie Washburn's.
In August 1942, Frankie has two weeks to spend at his parents' summer resort in rural Minnesota before heading off to the war. He's been looking forward to the visit despite his cold and distant father and hovering, fretting mother because it's a chance to see Billy, his childhood friend who over the years secretly became something more. Before they have a chance for a real reunion, though, a rash decision leads to tragedy. Suddenly, Frankie can't look anyone in the eye—not his parents, not his old friend Felix, the Native caretaker of the property, and especially not Billy. All he can do is escape to the European front and agonize over his choices.
The perspective shifts from one character to the next until finally the full picture emerges—of what really happened that hot summer day in the woods, and of how each character's choices since then have affected them all. It's heartbreaking at times how little they understand each other, even after living for years under the same tall trees.
I'm still puzzling over the ending a bit—not because I couldn't follow what happened, but because I'm searching for a slice of redemption and not finding much. However, Treuer is undeniably a talented writer and a master of tonal shifts. Each character is etched in fine detail. That the last chapter is told in Prudence's own breathless, scarred voice surprised me—I expected her to remain an enigma—but it's absolutely fitting, and though difficult to read, hauntingly beautiful.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
February 25, 2015
I really admired this moving, grim, and well-written novel. As I read I was reminded of Alan Hollinghurst's "The Stranger's Child," Gore Vidal's "The City and the Pillar," Ian McEwan's "Atonement," and Annie Proulx's "Brokeback Mountain," and I think that readers who enjoyed those books will find something of interest here. I didn't love some of the characters, particularly Emma and Jonathan, who felt a bit flat and almost distressingly stereotypical, and some elements of the thwarted "love that dare not speak its name" story felt familiar, if well-executed. Where the novel stood out was in its subtle, well-researched, and evocative prose--and especially in the light it shed on both the Ojibwe community and Minnesota's Edenic (on multiple levels in this book), and ultimately unforgiving, landscape/way of life. Overall, Prudence is a thoughtful exploration of masculinity, isolation, and the wrongs we commit--and how we try to rectify them, with varying levels of success. Rating: 4 out of 5.
November 23, 2014
The story is set in 1942 and 1952, primarily in Minnesota at a family summer resort and the surrounding reservation community. An accidental shooting affects the trajectory of each of the main characters' lives: Frankie and Billy are young men with a secret relationship; Felix is the tradition-bearer and father figure to both; and Prudence, whose tragic life touches each of them deeply. The story flows well, with each chapter told from a different characters' perspective.
I was emotionally engaged with each character. The author also skillfully describes the details of their lives, most notably, Native American ways and bombardier training. I think Prudence would be a great book for discussion - not only about how major issues (racism, homophobia, sexual abuse) are addressed, but also the impact of our secrets and the lies that we tell ourselves and each other.
Most of the book focuses on the perspectives and character development of the men, but the last two chapters tie the story back to the beginning and are about women. The ending delivers an emotional blow.
I was emotionally engaged with each character. The author also skillfully describes the details of their lives, most notably, Native American ways and bombardier training. I think Prudence would be a great book for discussion - not only about how major issues (racism, homophobia, sexual abuse) are addressed, but also the impact of our secrets and the lies that we tell ourselves and each other.
Most of the book focuses on the perspectives and character development of the men, but the last two chapters tie the story back to the beginning and are about women. The ending delivers an emotional blow.
July 7, 2015
Beautifully written, character-centered novel, but it's really grim with no happy moments. The book emphasizes mood and language. It's a coming of age story that also explores the destructive power of war on people on the front and at home. And then there are the class differences, the LGBTQ angle, and the limited options for Native Americans. The story, told from multiple perspectives, is of a crime committed as Frankie, son of summer people who keep a place in northern Minnesota, is off for WWII--and the long-reaching effects of that crime on all involved. We learn about the characters--young Frankie and his Indian friend Billy; Felix, the old Native American who is more of a father to Frankie than his own distant parent; and Prudence, the young Native American woman who is anything but prudent and lives on dreams--through their own narratives and as they are seen in the narratives of others. Evocative language, intriguing characters--but very dark.
January 30, 2015
Prudence by David Treuer is not truly a book about World War II, race, social class, an accident, or even the character Prudence, as the title or description imply. Underneath it all, it is a depressing tale, with unlikable characters and unsavory sexual details, about social norms and about a love that does not fit the social norms at the time.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015...
Reviewed based on a publisher’s galley received through NetGalley
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015...
Reviewed based on a publisher’s galley received through NetGalley
May 6, 2015
I really was excited about this book: historical fiction, written by a Native Aemerican, about native Americans and white people in northern Minnesota. I was listening to it, and it just was so flat and clunky to me. I wasn't connecting with Emma, who was so condescending toward sher Indian employees and neighbors. So, I stopped and happily began listening to a Star Talk podcast on the physics of Interstellar. Much happier.
February 2, 2015
I was disappointed in this one. It has a ton of potential. It was blurbed by Toni Morrison as being intricate, seductive, and wholly gratifying. I didn't really find that to be the case. It's an ok story that didn't live up to its potential. I'm not sorry I read it. I liked it ok but it's not one I would really recommend.
February 24, 2015
What a stunning piece of work, David Treuer!!
June 4, 2017
I think one star is being generous.
March 15, 2020
Treuer’s book Rez Life: An Indian's Journey Through Reservation Life popped up as a suggestion in my social media, but since there’s a long hold on the ebook, I opted to start with this one, so this is my introduction to David Treuer.
Frankie is a young man whose parents are wealthy Chicagoans. His mother Emma really wanted a place for the summer away from the heat of the city, so she convinced her husband Jonathan to purchase The Pines, a resort in northern Minnesota near a Native American community. Her handyman/gardener is Felix, a Native American who lives nearby, and Emma also hires young native girls to do the housework. Her relationship to them all is riddled with casual racism, which isn’t surprisingly since the book takes place in 1944. Jonathan himself seems like the stereotypical businessman from the 1940s (though he’s a doctor), having casual sexual encounters with his nurses and staff, with a whiff of it being not exactly consensual.
When Frankie returns to the Pines to visit his parents in the summer of 1944, he meets up with his friends, though one is obviously more than just a friend to him, and they decide to hunt down an escaped German POW that everyone is searching for. But it is then that a violent accident changes everyone’s lives and has rippling effects down the line.
I personally enjoyed Treuer’s writing. It’s sometimes quite lyrical, other times spare and raw. He shies away from nothing, including a graphic description of a dead body that had been submerged in water for a few days. The changes in point-of-view were interesting too; getting inside most of the characters’ brains really brought them to life and gave more insight into their interactions.
The only thing I had a little confusion with was the beginning and the end, both of which are virtually the same chapter. I had to re-read them both once I finished. But on the whole, I found this book to be quite interesting, and I look forward to reading more from this talented author.
Frankie is a young man whose parents are wealthy Chicagoans. His mother Emma really wanted a place for the summer away from the heat of the city, so she convinced her husband Jonathan to purchase The Pines, a resort in northern Minnesota near a Native American community. Her handyman/gardener is Felix, a Native American who lives nearby, and Emma also hires young native girls to do the housework. Her relationship to them all is riddled with casual racism, which isn’t surprisingly since the book takes place in 1944. Jonathan himself seems like the stereotypical businessman from the 1940s (though he’s a doctor), having casual sexual encounters with his nurses and staff, with a whiff of it being not exactly consensual.
When Frankie returns to the Pines to visit his parents in the summer of 1944, he meets up with his friends, though one is obviously more than just a friend to him, and they decide to hunt down an escaped German POW that everyone is searching for. But it is then that a violent accident changes everyone’s lives and has rippling effects down the line.
I personally enjoyed Treuer’s writing. It’s sometimes quite lyrical, other times spare and raw. He shies away from nothing, including a graphic description of a dead body that had been submerged in water for a few days. The changes in point-of-view were interesting too; getting inside most of the characters’ brains really brought them to life and gave more insight into their interactions.
The only thing I had a little confusion with was the beginning and the end, both of which are virtually the same chapter. I had to re-read them both once I finished. But on the whole, I found this book to be quite interesting, and I look forward to reading more from this talented author.
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March 17, 2024La 4e de couverture nous dit que toni morrison a trouvé ce roman admirable et déchirant. Je ne peux humblement que confirmer
August 17, 2021
i try not to read WW2 books but this one wasn't half bad
February 16, 2015
Every summer of his youth, Frankie Washburn spendt time at his family's resort in Minnesota. He returns to the Pines before entering World War II and a series of moments lead to a horrendous mistake that haunts all involved forever. This book encapsulates a lot of different issues. There is a beautiful romance between Frankie and his boyhood friend that captures so much of the innocence and scandal of same-sex relationship during that period of time. Frankie also deals with the disappointment of his father who wished for a manlier son and the resentment flowing from both characters is palpable in sections. The plight of the Native Americans on the reservation and their relationship to the wealthy white family played a big part of the story and all of the characters were extremely well developed.
All of this was so well done and beautifully written during the first part of the book. However, as the book progresses into the years following the war, all of the different storylines just stall and really nothing is resolved. I even wished that the book was longer and more of the character arcs fleshed out more. Overall, though, there was a lot here that I really enjoyed and I thought the writing was beautiful and the storyline kept me interested. I received an ARC of this book free from the publisher.
All of this was so well done and beautifully written during the first part of the book. However, as the book progresses into the years following the war, all of the different storylines just stall and really nothing is resolved. I even wished that the book was longer and more of the character arcs fleshed out more. Overall, though, there was a lot here that I really enjoyed and I thought the writing was beautiful and the storyline kept me interested. I received an ARC of this book free from the publisher.
April 28, 2015
For the first 2/3s of this book, it felt a little overly complex. But as the it played out, I changed my mind. The choices Treur made to tell the story as he does, pay off. The frequent flashbacks and changes in perspective enhance what is being told.
The book is wonderfully layered. The characters themselves, despite the rural setting, have consequential strata. The Washburns, the locals, the German camp, are all their own layers, and the Native Americans add many more of their own. Some of the cadres are hidden, powerfully so, like Frankie and Billy. Or Felix, who is known as a powerful killer only among the Native Americans.
Unfortunately I thought the ending was a weaker part of the story. Both the episode of the Jew, and Prudence’s final soliloquy failed to resonate with me. Although comparing the plight of the Jews in Nazi Germany to the Native Americans is an interesting choice. Perhaps what disappointed me most about the ending is that we don’t find out what happens to Billy.
Overall this was a very enjoyable read. I liked Treuer’s writing. I was happy to have heard him talk about the book a month ago.
The book is wonderfully layered. The characters themselves, despite the rural setting, have consequential strata. The Washburns, the locals, the German camp, are all their own layers, and the Native Americans add many more of their own. Some of the cadres are hidden, powerfully so, like Frankie and Billy. Or Felix, who is known as a powerful killer only among the Native Americans.
Unfortunately I thought the ending was a weaker part of the story. Both the episode of the Jew, and Prudence’s final soliloquy failed to resonate with me. Although comparing the plight of the Jews in Nazi Germany to the Native Americans is an interesting choice. Perhaps what disappointed me most about the ending is that we don’t find out what happens to Billy.
Overall this was a very enjoyable read. I liked Treuer’s writing. I was happy to have heard him talk about the book a month ago.
September 18, 2015
Set in the woods of northern Minnesota between 1942-1952, a story of loss, lost youth, and unfulfilled love. The Washburn family, from Chicago, own The Pines resort in Minnesota. Jonathan Washburn is a doctor, his wife Emma runs the resort and they have a son Frankie. Felix, an Ojibwe, is a handyman at the resort. Billy Cochran, a young Ojibwe, helps Felix around the property. Prudence and Grace are two Indian girls making their way back to their village in northern Minnesota from school in Flandreau, South Dakota. A German prison camp is across the water from the resort. A German prisoner escapes and a manhunt begins. The manhunt results in terrible outcomes which affects many of the key characters. Frankie goes to WWII as a bombardier and Billy as an infantryman. The events in the woods haunt both of them.
This is a somewhat quiet book. Themes are strung together yet many of the scenes can stand alone. Heartbreak, sorrow and regrets run throughout.
This is a somewhat quiet book. Themes are strung together yet many of the scenes can stand alone. Heartbreak, sorrow and regrets run throughout.
March 20, 2015
I was very excited to begin this book and really thought I was going to love it, especially since the author is Ojibwe. In fact I may have enjoyed it more if not for personal reasons for many stops and starts.
I did thoroughly enjoy the historical details, with American Indian contribution to WWI new knowledge for me. There were too many variables in each character. I thought I knew Felix, but did not. I had a sense of Billy, which was wrong. I thought Prudence would turn around. Wrong again. Interesting thought was how we were allowed to love in 1944 as compared to now.
Frankly I almost put it down several times, but pushed forward. I disagreed with the critics claims of wondrous and mesmerizing.
I did thoroughly enjoy the historical details, with American Indian contribution to WWI new knowledge for me. There were too many variables in each character. I thought I knew Felix, but did not. I had a sense of Billy, which was wrong. I thought Prudence would turn around. Wrong again. Interesting thought was how we were allowed to love in 1944 as compared to now.
Frankly I almost put it down several times, but pushed forward. I disagreed with the critics claims of wondrous and mesmerizing.
February 2, 2019
David Treuer has done a wonderful job with his historical fiction novel, Prudence. The novel is a heartfelt full bodied depiction of the relationships between two cultures. We get a brief slice of life between Native Americans and largely clueless whites, navigating life in Minnesota during World War ll and an epilogue during the 1950s. What I like is that this is not a predictable book in anyway and there is some depth. Treuer points out very well how humans often delude themselves. He also has some interesting perspectives on victims, survivors, killing, and murders. What more can a novelist do?
February 19, 2015
A very well constructed story set in rural Minnesota during the period of World War 2. A German prisoner escapes from a nearby prisoner of war camp and the search is on to find him. During the search there is the tragic accidental shooting of a young native American girl and the novel takes off from there and we become deeply involved with the lives of her sister who was with her that day as well as the group of people who were in the search party that were responsible for her death. This is a well written captivating book with many unexpected twists.
July 28, 2017
A truly impressive book full of tragedy and character and some beauty. The shifting narrative style is very effective and the story is one that will not be soon forgotten. So glad I was introduced to Treuer.
March 8, 2015
It simply wasn't the story I wanted it to be.
December 31, 2023
When we’re mired in our daily lives, it can feel like a war of a kind, confusing and messy, beautiful and tragic, and sometimes futile even, as we’re all expendable. David Treuer brings that to stark relief in his 2015 novel, Prudence. Set in the Minnesota landscape where the Ojibwe people, of which Treuer is part of, settled along with white people and a German prisoners-of-war camp, the book changes points-of-view with different characters as they navigate WWII domesticity and the warfront, as well as its aftermath, and importantly, Treuer includes points-of-view of the Indians, including the titular character, Prudence, at the end.
Frankie, a privileged white boy who went to Princeton and then joined up with the Air Force during WWII to be a bombardier (the one who drops the bombs), and yet still can never please his womanizing, aloof father, and Billy, an Indian, are lovers from an early age, not only at a time when that would be heavily frowned upon, but also because of the white-Indian dichotomy. One day, while “hunting” for an escaped German from the prisoner-of-war camp, Frankie shoots and kills Prudence’s little sister, Grace, mistaking her for the German. Billy takes the heat and pretends he was the one to shoot her.
We later learn that Prudence was sexually assaulted, repeatedly, starting at age 13, but still tried to make a life for her and Grace, going to school and then stumbling on the Pines, the Ojibwe land, owned by Frankie’s parents. It wasn’t until Grace was killed that she truly spiraled, drinking and having meaningless sex with men, including Billy and Felix (the older Indian caretaker of the Pines, who thought of Prudence as his daughter, weirdly), of which the former seems to have impregnated her. But in a letter at the end of the novel, we learn that Prudence doesn’t want to live anymore and she kills herself with rat poison. In one poignant reflection, she remarks about how she and Grace once thought they could be like birds, soaring with freedom and whimsy, and instead, she learned they had to be worms “burrowed into all its [the green earth’s] low places and no one wants to be something like a worm,” but “they survive and haven’t far to fall.” After Grace’s death, Prudence didn’t want to survive anymore. She was done burrowing. She was done with her “worm” existence. Plus, Frankie died, too, in the war, and he had promised he’d come back, so, there really was nothing more for her in her own estimation.
Meanwhile, another Indian, Mary, is married to a German, who in 1952 is accosted by a Jewish man — the bookends of the book are the unusualness of seeing a Jewish man on the reservation, but also the similarity to the Ojibwe people that he’s one of the last of his “tribe” — who believes that the German helped out his Jewish family in Germany, leading to his death. He shoots the German, albeit the caliber isn’t enough to kill the man. Mary fixes him (the Jewish man) tea and dinner, and the Jew and the German shake hands, with the former departing.
Life is messy and complicated and it doesn’t go the way you expect, like with Billy ending up married to a woman with two kids instead of with Frankie, or to a lesser extent, Emma losing the Pines because she lost Frankie, or Frankie himself, just another bombardier dying in the war, or Felix losing any sense of purpose once Emma left, Frankie didn’t return, and Prudence killed herself, and Mary trying to hold on to her version of her little life in the cabin, where instead of sweeping dirt floors she now sweeps wood floors. She likes it, and doesn’t want to hear anything to the contrary. Same with Prudence and whether Frankie was the real shooter or not. That’s the other thing about life: we prefer small fictions to big truths. It helps keep us sane and moving, burrowing like worms instead of careening down like bombs on a German town.
Beautifully written with a hard edge, and points-of-view you don’t typically get in American fiction, Prudence is a must-read.
Frankie, a privileged white boy who went to Princeton and then joined up with the Air Force during WWII to be a bombardier (the one who drops the bombs), and yet still can never please his womanizing, aloof father, and Billy, an Indian, are lovers from an early age, not only at a time when that would be heavily frowned upon, but also because of the white-Indian dichotomy. One day, while “hunting” for an escaped German from the prisoner-of-war camp, Frankie shoots and kills Prudence’s little sister, Grace, mistaking her for the German. Billy takes the heat and pretends he was the one to shoot her.
We later learn that Prudence was sexually assaulted, repeatedly, starting at age 13, but still tried to make a life for her and Grace, going to school and then stumbling on the Pines, the Ojibwe land, owned by Frankie’s parents. It wasn’t until Grace was killed that she truly spiraled, drinking and having meaningless sex with men, including Billy and Felix (the older Indian caretaker of the Pines, who thought of Prudence as his daughter, weirdly), of which the former seems to have impregnated her. But in a letter at the end of the novel, we learn that Prudence doesn’t want to live anymore and she kills herself with rat poison. In one poignant reflection, she remarks about how she and Grace once thought they could be like birds, soaring with freedom and whimsy, and instead, she learned they had to be worms “burrowed into all its [the green earth’s] low places and no one wants to be something like a worm,” but “they survive and haven’t far to fall.” After Grace’s death, Prudence didn’t want to survive anymore. She was done burrowing. She was done with her “worm” existence. Plus, Frankie died, too, in the war, and he had promised he’d come back, so, there really was nothing more for her in her own estimation.
Meanwhile, another Indian, Mary, is married to a German, who in 1952 is accosted by a Jewish man — the bookends of the book are the unusualness of seeing a Jewish man on the reservation, but also the similarity to the Ojibwe people that he’s one of the last of his “tribe” — who believes that the German helped out his Jewish family in Germany, leading to his death. He shoots the German, albeit the caliber isn’t enough to kill the man. Mary fixes him (the Jewish man) tea and dinner, and the Jew and the German shake hands, with the former departing.
Life is messy and complicated and it doesn’t go the way you expect, like with Billy ending up married to a woman with two kids instead of with Frankie, or to a lesser extent, Emma losing the Pines because she lost Frankie, or Frankie himself, just another bombardier dying in the war, or Felix losing any sense of purpose once Emma left, Frankie didn’t return, and Prudence killed herself, and Mary trying to hold on to her version of her little life in the cabin, where instead of sweeping dirt floors she now sweeps wood floors. She likes it, and doesn’t want to hear anything to the contrary. Same with Prudence and whether Frankie was the real shooter or not. That’s the other thing about life: we prefer small fictions to big truths. It helps keep us sane and moving, burrowing like worms instead of careening down like bombs on a German town.
Beautifully written with a hard edge, and points-of-view you don’t typically get in American fiction, Prudence is a must-read.
June 20, 2018
Prudence
• by David Treuer
Overview: ...On a sweltering day in August 1942, Frankie Washburn returns to his family's rustic Minnesota resort The Pines, for one last visit before he joins the war (WWII) as a bombardier... Awaiting him at the Pines are those he's about to leave behind: his hovering mother (Emma); the distant father (Dr. Jonathan) to whom he's been a disappointment; the Indian caretaker (Felix) who's been more of a father to him than his own; and Billy (a half-breed and Frankie's forbidden gay lover)...
Begins with descriptions of the various characters as you await the beginning of the actual story, but that is the story; the mostly pathetic lives of whites, half-breeds and Indians (Ojibwe) at a northern Minnesota reservation and a summer resort now in decline.
After college Frankie visits before reporting for duty with the Air Force. While at The Pines Frankie & company help hunt for a German POW who escaped from the camp that's just across the Mississippi River from the resort. Later the POW's drowned body will be found under the Pines' dock. On the POW hunt Frankie shoots at something, killing little Gracie who's hiding in the bushes with her sister Prudence.
World War II rationing leaves the resort mostly abandoned. The caretaker Felix still lives on site as he cares for the homeless girl, Prudence. The Washburns neglect their summer resort and stay home in Chicago. Frankie excels in the Air Force. He writes to Prudence and sends her a locket--he's still grief-stricken over shooting her sister. The surgeon Jonathan doesn't care about his wife's summer resort, The Pines and prefers to stay in Chicago where he beds his nurses.
Billy marries one of the former resort maids, Stella and joins the army. Frankie is MIA when his plane goes down. Ten years pass (1952). Prudence has become a drunken tramp, and sleeps with some who should know better. A former German POW (Miller) stays and marries former resort maid Mary. He's accused of being a Nazi sympathizer by a mysterious stranger armed with a gun. After the stranger wounds Miller, Mary hits him over the head. Miller will heal and after feeding the stranger he leaves.
And the ending, which is mentioned in the prologue, the tragic death of Prudence and her unborn baby. She suicides in her upstairs room at the Wigwam bar, using the rat poison she just purchased. She's had a horrible life; no mom, dad away working, rape, on the run and trying to keep her little sis safe. When she is given a home at the Pines and caretaker Felix cares for her like his own daughter (his wife & kid died while he served in WWI) ungrateful Prudence ruins this kindness as well.
The story has bouts of intrigue and some boring sections. However, it spends far too much time detailing various sexual activities to the point it becomes a seriously trashy novel. Why undermine it, Mr. Treuer?
It also mentions a Jew, an unusual sight on the reservation, "the last of his tribe." He's seen briefly before he departs, but we're never told who he is or what he was doing in the village. The author has a number of such obscure events that remain unclear, to the annoyance of the reader.
..
• by David Treuer
Overview: ...On a sweltering day in August 1942, Frankie Washburn returns to his family's rustic Minnesota resort The Pines, for one last visit before he joins the war (WWII) as a bombardier... Awaiting him at the Pines are those he's about to leave behind: his hovering mother (Emma); the distant father (Dr. Jonathan) to whom he's been a disappointment; the Indian caretaker (Felix) who's been more of a father to him than his own; and Billy (a half-breed and Frankie's forbidden gay lover)...
Begins with descriptions of the various characters as you await the beginning of the actual story, but that is the story; the mostly pathetic lives of whites, half-breeds and Indians (Ojibwe) at a northern Minnesota reservation and a summer resort now in decline.
After college Frankie visits before reporting for duty with the Air Force. While at The Pines Frankie & company help hunt for a German POW who escaped from the camp that's just across the Mississippi River from the resort. Later the POW's drowned body will be found under the Pines' dock. On the POW hunt Frankie shoots at something, killing little Gracie who's hiding in the bushes with her sister Prudence.
World War II rationing leaves the resort mostly abandoned. The caretaker Felix still lives on site as he cares for the homeless girl, Prudence. The Washburns neglect their summer resort and stay home in Chicago. Frankie excels in the Air Force. He writes to Prudence and sends her a locket--he's still grief-stricken over shooting her sister. The surgeon Jonathan doesn't care about his wife's summer resort, The Pines and prefers to stay in Chicago where he beds his nurses.
Billy marries one of the former resort maids, Stella and joins the army. Frankie is MIA when his plane goes down. Ten years pass (1952). Prudence has become a drunken tramp, and sleeps with some who should know better. A former German POW (Miller) stays and marries former resort maid Mary. He's accused of being a Nazi sympathizer by a mysterious stranger armed with a gun. After the stranger wounds Miller, Mary hits him over the head. Miller will heal and after feeding the stranger he leaves.
And the ending, which is mentioned in the prologue, the tragic death of Prudence and her unborn baby. She suicides in her upstairs room at the Wigwam bar, using the rat poison she just purchased. She's had a horrible life; no mom, dad away working, rape, on the run and trying to keep her little sis safe. When she is given a home at the Pines and caretaker Felix cares for her like his own daughter (his wife & kid died while he served in WWI) ungrateful Prudence ruins this kindness as well.
The story has bouts of intrigue and some boring sections. However, it spends far too much time detailing various sexual activities to the point it becomes a seriously trashy novel. Why undermine it, Mr. Treuer?
It also mentions a Jew, an unusual sight on the reservation, "the last of his tribe." He's seen briefly before he departs, but we're never told who he is or what he was doing in the village. The author has a number of such obscure events that remain unclear, to the annoyance of the reader.
..
May 20, 2017
Shared history and shared guilt is, often times, distancing between those who have experienced the same history and guilt. David Treuer explores this, as well as the responsibility it involves, in his novel Prudence. The Washburn family, an upper middle class white family from Chicago, own a resort called the Pines in Minnesota, where they vacation during the summer. On this particular day, the son Frankie comes to the Pines for one last summer, fresh out of Princeton, before joining the Air Force during WWII. Filled with promise, especially when he is reunited with his secret love, Billy, a Native American that helps out on his family's property, as well as Felix, the Native American handyman, that, in ways, is more of the patient, understanding parent than even Frankie's own. But on a manhunt to find an escaped German POW, and in a misguided effort to prove their "manhood," a terrible accident befalls them, involving Prudence, an emotionally wounded Native American girl and her sister, that has reverberations for all over the next ten years that the book tracks. Told through the multiple voices of the characters, in beautiful, descriptive prose, that continually circles back to the event, Prudence shows how the guilt they feel unites them in one tragic moment, but forever separates them inside their own guilt. There are moments where the characters feel like ciphers, especially Prudence, even in their own passages, and Prudence's arc does not necessarily warrant being the title of the novel. But hiding from yourself as well as others, is sometimes all part of a guilt that can never go away.
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