Such Kindness by Andre Dubus III
Andre Dubus III’s recent novel ‘Such Kindness’ personifies the phrase, “You never know how another person feels unless you walk a mile in his/her shoes.’ Without being sentimental or didactic, the novel depicts a good man trying his best to survive. Dubus’ literary talents allow readers to inhabit another person’s interior life and witness the widening of his perspective and the healing of his heart.
This hero’s journey is about transformation, not from rags to riches but from anger to kindness.
Tom Lowe, Jr. was living the American Dream on the north shore of Massachusetts. He married his college sweetheart and they had a son named Drew. As a skilled carpenter, Tom started his own construction company. Successful and content, he took out a sub-prime loan to build a family home. While hammering the roof, Tom fell and broke his back. Unable to return to work and in constant pain, he became addicted to opioids. His subprime mortgage payment rose. Soon he lost his house, his wife and his son. When the story begins, he lives alone in Section 8 subsidized housing. He can’t afford a cell phone or car on his meager income. His mobility is limited and his pain persists. The plot revolves around Tom’s efforts to see his son on his 20th birthday.
Tom’s despair, depression, and bitterness overpower him every day. He blames the banks, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies for their deceit and dishonesty. Only one banker went to jail for the 2008 crash. Many perpetrators of the 2008 banking crisis continued with their lives, while Tom’s life and the lives of many others were shattered. The societal safety net protects the wealthy, not the working poor or destitute.
We encounter Tom’s neighbors in Section 8 Housing who sell plasma, visit food pantries, and commit petty crimes to survive. Dubus depicts how bad luck, bad decisions, lack of education and poor health can crack the foundation of a person’s life. People in town who once treated Tom with respect now ignore or shun him. He has learned to live on little. He says, “Can’t thrive when you are trying to survive.”
Halfway through the novel, I considered stopping. I wanted to look away from Tom’s travails. Yet, Tom begins to change when he has no option but to rely on the kindness of strangers. He decides the only aspect of his life he can control is his response to what life hurls at him. So, Tom Lowe starts to be a giver, not a taker, even toward his down-and-out neighbors, whom he thinks inferior. His perspective widens as he appreciates the humanity of those he encounters. Tom apologizes to those he has hurt; this psychological and spiritual epiphany feels authentic due to the skills of this impressive writer.
And yet, I couldn’t help wondering why poor people must cultivate a positive attitude. This country tells people that if you work hard, you can get ahead. It isn’t true. Shouldn’t the government apologize to people for a broken system that condemns its citizens to live lives of desperation? Nonetheless, Andre Dubus III’s novel ‘Such Kindness’ thoughtfully depicts one man’s healing transformation. 4/5