Blackburn Gant is the caretaker at a cemetery in North Carolina; he limps and his face is disfigured from polio. His one and only friend is Jacob Hampton, the only son of a prominent couple in their small town. Jacob has fallen love and eloped with Naomi, must to his parents' disapproval to the extent that they have disowned him.

Jacob is soon drafted into the army and serves in the Korean War where he was injured. While he is away, Bradford sees after Naomi who is pregnant. When Jacob's parents learn that he has been injured and will be returning, they contrive a plot to make Jacob think that Naomi has died. She and her family have left and they make Naomi believe that Jacob has died. To the extent that a coffin is buried with only the last name on the stone.

A beautifully and well-written story with a strange twist at the end. Great read.Re ( )

I have mixed feelings about The Caretaker. It has a lot going for it, but it doesn’t go all the way there, if that makes sense. Rash is a gifted writer, painting vivid images throughout (and I love a story I can see in my mind). And the plot is interesting. I guess it’s the pacing that’s off for me, and the end was somehow over so quickly I barely had time to get excited that this thing was happening. ( )

A wounded Korean War man is coming home to his wife whom his parents hate, so they concoct the death of his wife and unborn baby. A convoluted tale that has the reader rooting for the young lovers. ( )

This novel, set in North Carolina in the early 1950s, examines love (familial, passionate, friendship) in its many forms.

Jacob Hampton marries 16-year-old Naomi Clarke against his parents’ wishes. As a result, he is disinherited. Shortly after their elopement, Jacob is conscripted and sent to Korea. Before he leaves, Jacob asks his best friend, Blackburn Gant, to look after Naomi in his absence, especially because she is pregnant. When his parents learn that their son has been injured, they devise a devious plan to keep Jacob and Naomi apart when he returns to the U.S.

The title is perfect. Blackburn is the caretaker of a cemetery. Disfigured by polio, he is spurned or ridiculed by most members of the community so he is very much a loner. Jacob is his only real friend. Blackburn takes his job seriously; he is meticulous in his caretaking of the dead: “Small acts of respect mattered.” He is also a caretaker of the living: “Caretaking was a duty to the living and the dead.” As friendless as she is, Blackburn forms a bond with Naomi and helps her to prepare for the birth of her child. After a nasty altercation with Mr. Hampton, Blackburn takes Naomi back to eastern Tennessee to live with her father. When Jacob returns from Korea, Blackburn supports his friend.

Blackburn may be a social outcast, but he is an admirable man. He is dependable, loyal, honest, and trustworthy – truly a man of honour. A target of intolerance, his typical reaction is to just walk away. He has wisdom as well. In one conversation, Jacob comments that “’to love a person enough that you’d want them to love someone else instead of you . . . that’s hard.’” Blackburn responds, “’Maybe it ain’t about having to make a choice which person you love . . . Maybe a heart’s big enough for both.’” His actions prove that Blackburn does indeed possess a big heart.

There is considerable suspense. With its forbidden love and star-crossed lovers vibe, the book will remind readers of Romeo and Juliet. Will Jacob and Naomi’s story end in a similar tragedy? Jacob’s parents, the town’s most prominent couple, possess an arrogance bordering on hubris. They use their power and money to threaten others to get what they want. Believing they know what is best for their son, they give little consideration to what would best make him happy. Will justice prevail or will Jacob unknowingly be manipulated into the life his parents want for him?

The book is not without some flaws. Though the motivations of the characters are clearly detailed, the scheme to keep Jacob and Naomi apart is a bit over-the-top and requires some suspension of disbelief. Their hatred of Naomi seems excessive. Jacob’s inaction on his return seems out of character. And the ending feels abrupt and too pat.

Despite these weaknesses, I recommend the book. It examines what love is and what it is not in an engaging way with a sympathetic main character. I’m sufficiently impressed that I’ll be checking out the author’s previous novels.

Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/DCYakabuski). ( )

This is one of those very few novels I wish I could give a higher than 5* rating. It was a joy to read the gloriously elegant prose the author used to tell, in such a contemplative, unhurried fashion, this moving and thought-provoking story. I loved his multi-layered character development, the psychological credibility of their various interactions, behaviour and decision-making, as well as his reflective explorations of love, friendship, family dynamics, deception, loss, grief, mourning, post-traumatic stress. ( )