Zorrie by Laird Hunt

A finalist for the 2021 National Book Award, Laird Hunt’s quiet novel Zorrie penetrates the resilient soul of a woman living on the Indiana plains. Hunt’s inspired description of Zorrie Underwood’s interior is incisive. The story begins in the Depression and spans much of the 20th century. Echoing the sparse prose of Kent Haruf or Elizabeth Strout, this novel is about emotional resilience, an appreciation of simpler times, and a reminder to savor life’s small gifts.

Zorrie Underwood was orphaned when her parents died of diphtheria. She was sent to live with a cold and distant Aunt, who died of a stroke when she was 21. The year is 1930. With no family, Zorrie is left to fend for herself. After living in barns and taking odd jobs in Illinois, including a stint in a radium plant, the Indiana land calls her home.

When Zorrie finds a community in Hillisburg, Indiana, her life improves. She falls in love and she and her husband farm the fertile Indiana soil like the neighbors surrounding her. Though loneliness and sadness stalk her life, she is embraced by a community that looks out for one another.

Zorrie and the other characters take time to think before uttering their thoughts. They spend time ruminating. They find solace in pondering their encounters or remembering loved ones who have passed. A restraint permeates this Indiana farm culture, which is such a contrast to our current times when people impulsively post anything and everything they think on social media.

Laird Hunt’s beautiful novel is about one woman’s perseverance and resilience despite her losses. It is also an homage to a simpler time when community socials, the beauty of the landscape, singing and cooking provided solace and meaning. This story is a reminder to slow down, embrace human connection and appreciate the small joys of being alive. 4/5