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Stay More #13
Enduring
"Forty years ago, Donald Harington created the little town of Stay More, hidden away in the hills of the Ozarks. He populated it with generations of families who had escaped the Appalachians in search of something - more room, greener pastures, freedom from convention, sweeter air and water, or simply a world where time and history don't matter. The first person the author created to inhabit his town was a woman, Latha Bourne, who would be the heroine and demigoddess of Lightning Bug and would reappear in numerous novels, herself serving as narrator of the classic The Chairing of the Trees." "From the beginning, she was set apart from the others by her beauty, her wit, her mystery, and her intense if unfulfilled sexuality. She was an enigma to her fellow Stay Morons, as Harington chose to call his citizenry, not insultingly but affectionately, in a play upon the town's invitational name and in recognition of the dictionary's definition of a "moron" as someone forever locked into the ages from 7 to 12, the years of most surprise and wonder and delight." But until this novel, Enduring, we never learned what happened to Latha herself between those ages, or, for that matter, at many other stages of her mysterious life. Now, in his largest novel yet, Harington reveals her entire story from beginning to ... end?
- GenresFictionContemporary
ebook
First published January 1, 2009
10 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Donald Harington
38 books115 followersDonald Douglas Harington was an American author. All but the first of his novels either take place in or have an important connection to "Stay More," a fictional Ozark Mountains town based somewhat on Drakes Creek, Arkansas, where Harington spent summers as a child.
Harington was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He lost nearly all of his hearing at age 12 due to meningitis. This did not prevent him from picking up and remembering the vocabulary and modes of expression among the Ozark denizens, nor in conducting his teaching career as an adult.
Though he intended to be a novelist from a very early age, his course of study and his teaching career were in art and art history. He taught art history in New York, New England, and South Dakota before returning to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, his alma mater, where he taught for 22 years before his retirement on 1 May 2008.
Harington is acclaimed as one of America's greatest writers of fiction, if not one of its best known. Entertainment Weekly called him "America's greatest unknown writer." The novelist and critic Fred Chappell said of him "Donald Harington isn't an unknown writer. He's an undiscovered continent." Novelist James Sallis, writing in the Boston Globe: "Harington's books are of a piece -- the quirkiest, most original body of work in contemporary U.S. letters."
Harington died of pneumonia, after a long illness, in Springdale on 7 November 2009.
Harington's novels are available from The Toby Press in a uniform edition, with cover illustrations by Wendell Minor. Since his death, The Toby Press has made available the entire set of Harington novels as The Complete Novels of Donald Harington.
Harington was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He lost nearly all of his hearing at age 12 due to meningitis. This did not prevent him from picking up and remembering the vocabulary and modes of expression among the Ozark denizens, nor in conducting his teaching career as an adult.
Though he intended to be a novelist from a very early age, his course of study and his teaching career were in art and art history. He taught art history in New York, New England, and South Dakota before returning to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, his alma mater, where he taught for 22 years before his retirement on 1 May 2008.
Harington is acclaimed as one of America's greatest writers of fiction, if not one of its best known. Entertainment Weekly called him "America's greatest unknown writer." The novelist and critic Fred Chappell said of him "Donald Harington isn't an unknown writer. He's an undiscovered continent." Novelist James Sallis, writing in the Boston Globe: "Harington's books are of a piece -- the quirkiest, most original body of work in contemporary U.S. letters."
Harington died of pneumonia, after a long illness, in Springdale on 7 November 2009.
Harington's novels are available from The Toby Press in a uniform edition, with cover illustrations by Wendell Minor. Since his death, The Toby Press has made available the entire set of Harington novels as The Complete Novels of Donald Harington.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 27, 2020
i always have trouble recommending donald harington to people. not because he isn't great, because he is, but i feel that to completely appreciate him, you have to read them all. in order. and some people aren't ready to make that kind of commitment from an unsolicited source (or solicited in the "i'm-in-the-bookstore-and-am-asking-the-worker" way.) but i have stopped doing that because i realize it might scare some people off, which isn't fair. however!!! if this is your first donald harington, go away! go read another of his books. this book covers the ground of several novels and will ruin your enjoyment of them. i forbid you to read this. for me, who hasn't "visited" stay more in way too long, it was a welcome revisiting, and i loved it. and hints of more books!! it makes me want to read them all over again. in order. i am so glad i have the advanced readers copy and can be the first to rate it! now, go read With or Some Other Place. The Right Place. and then read them all. in order.
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come to my blog!
February 1, 2011
I'm getting a bit naughty giving everything I've read recently four or five stars. Maybe I should lower my standards or maybe you guys should read this book and make your own mind up. Words cannot describe the awesomeness of this book. It was like reading three books, there is so much in it. I do not want to give the plot away, if you like generation books, where you follow one person's amazing life, you will love this!
So how can we mere mortals* encapsulate some of this awesomeness for ourselves?
1) The characters have such depth and distinction that you can't fail to recognise them hundreds of pages later when they suddenly reappear. Go back again and read the descriptions and picture the scents, the clothes they wear, the words they might use, their moral standing everything.
2) Think of the worst possible thing that could happen to your character at a poignant moment, then make it happen, Donald sure did.
3) Either have one or two main characters and a whole heap of settings or go the other way and have oodles of characters come and go around two or three major settings. By settings I don't mean a home I mean a village. Lots of the houses were described really well in this book.
*I have to tell you that the first time I wrote 'morsels' and I was staring at it for ages thinking it was wrong somehow :)
So how can we mere mortals* encapsulate some of this awesomeness for ourselves?
1) The characters have such depth and distinction that you can't fail to recognise them hundreds of pages later when they suddenly reappear. Go back again and read the descriptions and picture the scents, the clothes they wear, the words they might use, their moral standing everything.
2) Think of the worst possible thing that could happen to your character at a poignant moment, then make it happen, Donald sure did.
3) Either have one or two main characters and a whole heap of settings or go the other way and have oodles of characters come and go around two or three major settings. By settings I don't mean a home I mean a village. Lots of the houses were described really well in this book.
*I have to tell you that the first time I wrote 'morsels' and I was staring at it for ages thinking it was wrong somehow :)
October 1, 2009
just beautiful...
i wish the last fifty pages hadn't ever ended. this book ties into all the others very beautifully and with definite surprises. it also promises us three more books......................such a deeply enjoyable story.
i wish the last fifty pages hadn't ever ended. this book ties into all the others very beautifully and with definite surprises. it also promises us three more books......................such a deeply enjoyable story.
June 16, 2011
This is a prejudiced review. Donald Harington is one of my favorite authors so I have mostly good things to say about his books. Harington has written a series of books about a fictitious small town in the Ozarks in northern Kentucky called Staymore. He captures the feel of the time and place in each novel. This was nice book to read but not his best.
November 24, 2025
The fitting conclusion of the Stay More cycle, dedicated to its most glorious heroine, Latha Bourne.
Harington must have known that his time on earth was coming to an end, and that with Enduring he was writing his swan song, so while recounting Latha's story from the beginning, he revisits all previous Stay More stories.
Harington's alter ego, Dawney, is mentioned as author of some of those books, other Stay Morons are attributed authorship of others.
Enduring shows off Harington's great skills: The warmth, the inventiveness, the playfulness, the love of language, and, not least, the language of copulation. I haven't read Fifty Shades of Grey, but I would bet that Enduring is sexier.
Harington must have known that his time on earth was coming to an end, and that with Enduring he was writing his swan song, so while recounting Latha's story from the beginning, he revisits all previous Stay More stories.
Harington's alter ego, Dawney, is mentioned as author of some of those books, other Stay Morons are attributed authorship of others.
Enduring shows off Harington's great skills: The warmth, the inventiveness, the playfulness, the love of language, and, not least, the language of copulation. I haven't read Fifty Shades of Grey, but I would bet that Enduring is sexier.
May 17, 2009
Welcome to Stay More, Arkansas and the magical world of Latha Bourne, one of the most singularly interesting characters in all of American fiction. This beautiful, expansive novel is one of the most engrossing and fascinating works I have ever read. It follows the life of Latha Bourne, her entire life so far, from cradle to the age of something past 100.
Like all of Harington's books, there is no need to read them in any kind of order or sequence as Mr. Harington writes as a storyteller first, and he does it so artfully that every novel exists as its own creation--I myself have read his novels in different orders and have been rewarded in my own experience. There is no earthly way a reader will get lost in this book, other than in its enchantment and delicious plot. In fact this book itself may be a good place to start if it's your first Harington novel. If you read it you'll see why.
Latha Bourne is one of the most beautiful heroines in all of literature, and she is also one of the most independent and enduring. I loved learning about her family, her troubles, her "exile" and sojourn, and triumphant return to Stay More. Along the way, we meet and admire, perhaps fall in love with, a large cast of major and minor players (Every Dill, Doc Swain, the Duckworths, the Whitters, Dawny, Dan, Sharon, Larry, the Ingledews and Chisms and a few other surprises), all of whom--almost by magic--leave an indelible mark on the mind of the reader, the only place where in fact they exist. The settings vary from Stay More, Jasper, Little Rock, and Tennessee. I can't give away much more because I risk spoiling so many beautiful surprises that are best encountered in your reading.
The book is told as a wonderful story, as if around a campfire or an old fashioned gathering, and I couldn't help myself but want to visit this place sometime, to see if I could sit with Latha on her front porch, or near the dogtrot, and have a glass of lemonade and learn about the history of her mythical, inviting, beckoning hamlet.
Mr. Harington is well-known for his playful wordplay and musical language, and his impeccable comedic timing--all of which are present here. But he is not usually given his due as the master of suspense and plot he is... ENDURING is a testament to those talents. I turned the final page with a great deal of satisfaction and also without a clue where the hours went, the hours I spent happily traveling through Latha Bourne's remarkable life.
Like all of Harington's books, there is no need to read them in any kind of order or sequence as Mr. Harington writes as a storyteller first, and he does it so artfully that every novel exists as its own creation--I myself have read his novels in different orders and have been rewarded in my own experience. There is no earthly way a reader will get lost in this book, other than in its enchantment and delicious plot. In fact this book itself may be a good place to start if it's your first Harington novel. If you read it you'll see why.
Latha Bourne is one of the most beautiful heroines in all of literature, and she is also one of the most independent and enduring. I loved learning about her family, her troubles, her "exile" and sojourn, and triumphant return to Stay More. Along the way, we meet and admire, perhaps fall in love with, a large cast of major and minor players (Every Dill, Doc Swain, the Duckworths, the Whitters, Dawny, Dan, Sharon, Larry, the Ingledews and Chisms and a few other surprises), all of whom--almost by magic--leave an indelible mark on the mind of the reader, the only place where in fact they exist. The settings vary from Stay More, Jasper, Little Rock, and Tennessee. I can't give away much more because I risk spoiling so many beautiful surprises that are best encountered in your reading.
The book is told as a wonderful story, as if around a campfire or an old fashioned gathering, and I couldn't help myself but want to visit this place sometime, to see if I could sit with Latha on her front porch, or near the dogtrot, and have a glass of lemonade and learn about the history of her mythical, inviting, beckoning hamlet.
Mr. Harington is well-known for his playful wordplay and musical language, and his impeccable comedic timing--all of which are present here. But he is not usually given his due as the master of suspense and plot he is... ENDURING is a testament to those talents. I turned the final page with a great deal of satisfaction and also without a clue where the hours went, the hours I spent happily traveling through Latha Bourne's remarkable life.
December 20, 2018
it is sad to see this series end.
There is so much contained in these books 'describing' life in a small rural fictitious Arkansas spot on the road.
This one ties together all the other books, hampered by my senility, but the characters, as they are in all the books (even the cockroaches), are just wonderful.
And the story goes on.....
If you wish to know more, although not for this one, check out the links to Karen's reviews in my reviews of the earlier books in the series
There is so much contained in these books 'describing' life in a small rural fictitious Arkansas spot on the road.
This one ties together all the other books, hampered by my senility, but the characters, as they are in all the books (even the cockroaches), are just wonderful.
And the story goes on.....
If you wish to know more, although not for this one, check out the links to Karen's reviews in my reviews of the earlier books in the series
November 18, 2020
Avery nice book
November 23, 2020
A fitting conclusion to the Stay More series.
December 12, 2021
Always a home-coming when I read Harington.
April 14, 2012
I read a review of this author's lifetime of work that was so heartfelt and passionate that I didn't even wait 5 minutes before logging into Amazon to order a book. New releases of Don Harington's older books followed his death in 2009 and the reviewer egged me on with concern that this incredibly talented writer would disappear from the shelves without a new following.
Add to that, the reviewer made the statement he already had plans for 2 of the book to be buried with him when he passes on... Wow.
There are apparently a series of books all relating to folks in the small town of Stay More, Arkansas and I believe all the characters in those early books are brought into the last book--which of course I picked to read first because it was one of the ones going into that aforementioned grave. I didn't realize that at the time, but now that I've read the last first, I feel compelled to start at the beginning and work my way through. I'll let you know how that works out:)
Add to that, the reviewer made the statement he already had plans for 2 of the book to be buried with him when he passes on... Wow.
There are apparently a series of books all relating to folks in the small town of Stay More, Arkansas and I believe all the characters in those early books are brought into the last book--which of course I picked to read first because it was one of the ones going into that aforementioned grave. I didn't realize that at the time, but now that I've read the last first, I feel compelled to start at the beginning and work my way through. I'll let you know how that works out:)
February 17, 2014
In "Enduring" Donald Harington uses the more than 100 year long life of Latha Bourne to further describe the history of the Arkansas mountain town of Stay More. Through Latha's personal experiences, both tragic and uplifting, Harington continues to paint a vivid picture of this mythical Ozark setting. The book at times is very graphic but in the end it beautifully serves to continue the fascinating story of Stay More and its colorful people.
June 26, 2015
While I love the Stay More series and all the characters, I'm getting a little tired of the author's name dropping himself in the novels. If not for that, I would have given it three stars. I love Latha!
December 30, 2010
"[...]that the secret of enduring is not to harden oneself against loss but to soften oneself in acceptance."
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November 3, 2011Tried to read this 2x and couldn't get into it.
January 15, 2012
I really enjoyed the characters and the rustic hometown feeling; the ending spoiled it a bit for me.
July 30, 2013
pretty good, i'm a fan of donald harington
March 1, 2014
I have read most of Donald Harington's novels, but had not read this one, and really liked it...it's a book club book we've not discussed yet...more later.
January 5, 2015
Beautiful farewell to Stay More.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews