Kindred Souls
Jake enjoys his daily walk around the family farm with Billy, his grandfather and “kindred soul.” As they stop by the mud-and-prairie-grass remnants of the soddy where Billy was born, he often remarks, “I loved that sod house.” One day he says, “I miss that sod house,” and finally, after Jake asks an idle question about cutting sod for bricks, Billy declares, “You can build me a sod house.” When Billy falls ill and is hospitalized, Jake overcomes his strong reluctance to build a soddy. His family pitches in and readies the little building for Billy’s return. The more Jake remarks that 88-year-old Billy “will live forever,” the more astute readers can be that the end is near. Printed in large type with wide-spaced lines, the first-person story, with its short sentences and nuanced observations, focuses primarily on Billy’s preparations for death, as told from Jake’s point of view. Though its subject may limit its appeal, MacLachlan writes with clarity of purpose. Grades 3-5. --Carolyn Phelan