Groundskeeping by Lee Cole

“It was like the sensation one has reading a good book. The sensation of being propelled towards the end and at the same time wishing to linger.”

Exactly my feelings as I read Groundskeeping, a book with so much to say, but it is said in some very unstated, exceptional prose. This is the type of writing that wowed me in it’s subtlety.

I began this as an audiobook and the narrator's voice screams "coming of age" novel - something about the way he delivered Owen Callahan’s story felt perfect. But, I knew I wanted a physical copy because the actual book itself is stunning (minus the sticker on the front cover). But, that’s another issue.

Groundskeeping is about home and place and how they become intertwined with who we are and who we want to be. Cole captures the pull, safety and allegiance we feel with our hometowns (and our families) while at the same time wrestling with our need to branch out on our own. The book opens with “I've always had the same predicament. When I'm home, in Kentucky, all I want is to leave. When I'm away, I'm homesick for a place that never was." As someone who has moved all the way across the country to a very different place than where I lived most of my life, I felt as though Cole looked into my soul with this simple sentence. I often miss my former home, and yet when I am there I cannot wait to get back to Texas - it never fails.

The relationship between the main character, Owen, and his love interest, Alma, was such a smart portrayal of the importance of respecting everyone's life experience, no matter where we hail from - whether it be Kentucky or Bosnia (in the case of this story). I thought it was brilliant.

I also loved that this was a "bookish book" - both Owen and Alma are writers and their conversations often center around books and reading which always connects me to characters on a deeper level.

Again, this is a quiet read but it packs a punch. I found myself stopping, marking quotes, making notes, and really thinking about how astute Cole's observations about self and place really are.

A multi-layered winner.