Plainsong is book one in a trilogy. Kent Haruf is a simple writer, he writes simply, his characters are simple, and his story lines simple. But simple can be good and in Haruf's case it is good. He writes with warmth and familiarity.
In Plainsong we are introduced to some of the residents of Holt, Colorado. The book focuses on families, some created through marriage and some created through necessity. We meander through the days of Holt with Guthrie, Ike and Bobby, Victoria, and the McPherons. Other characters play important roles but aren't specifically focused on like these I have mentioned. There is nothing spectacular or outstanding about any one of these characters but you find yourself drawn into their story and into the larger story. Haruf writes about community and he does it very well. He knows how to tap into what makes a smaller community tick and what are the pros and cons of one. I loved that he highlighted the residents in a community who are always willing to swim upstream against the flow of popular thought. The McPherons come to mind. He has them behave in a manner outside the norm for their age and generation and it is heartwarming. But it is also realistic because every community has that person, or two, that does something surprising and outside what society would say is okay.
Like I said, Haruf writes with warmth and familiarity, he makes the story feel as if you are walking through town and listening in on the conversations and stories, as if perhaps you are a resident there yourself and observing these stories play out. He leans toward more descriptive writing rather than conversational writing and it serves the stories and his characters well. His writing makes you want to curl up with a blanket and a cup of tea and just breathe.