After an automobile accident, Virgil Wander can no longer summon all the words normally at his command. In fact, he feels like an entirely different person, a likely response to a near-death experience. As the doctor urges him to find someone to live with him temporarily (to keep him from forgetting a pot on the stove), a man wanders into town seeking information about a son he didn't know he had. Virgil invites Rune into his home and revels in the man's kite production and flight. While Rune learns more about his son (who disappeared from the town years ago), Virgil begins to understand more about his new person and place in the world.
Like the title character, the novel wanders amiably, yet I never grew disinterested. By the end, the pacing ratchets up a notch and I couldn't wait to find out what further misfortune might arrive for the struggling town and characters. The tiny Minnesota town by the sea is a character in and of itself and plays a big role in shaping the novel. Russ Ramsey, author of Struck: One Christian's Reflections on Encountering Death, interviewed Leif Enger on The Rabbit Room blog. Leif observes, "Virgil lives on the borders of faith and doubt, speech and silence, lucidity and confusion, civilization and wilderness, order and chaos. The inland sea is also a constant reminder that life is unpredictable and fog-shrouded and that tragedy is tethered to beauty and in fact joy."
What a beautiful novel! I enjoyed the characters, the writing, and the story line. I might have enjoyed the book discussion too, but they held it on Zoom (I hate Zoom). Still, I wouldn't have risked exposure for an in-person discussion either (our library plans to resume regular services on June 10th). Extended isolation to avoid a pandemic is as powerful a life-changing event as plunging into a body of icy water in a car. We will all respond to the world differently, just like Virgil Wander.
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