"Life on earth is difficult and grave, and marvelous." So says the Reverend John Ames at one point in this amazingly well written novel told from his troubled young wife, Lila's, perspective. When I read [b:Gilead|68210|Gilead|Marilynne Robinson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327936326s/68210.jpg|2481792] years ago, I fully expected to be bored out of my mind, but Robinson's writing just carried me along as smoothly as a raft down a placid river, and as swiftly too. "Lila" is, thankfully, more of that same river but with a few rapids thrown in.