What I'm Reading . . . The Road

I've delayed reading this book by Cormac McCarthy for two years because the subject matter is so harrowing. The Road follows a father and young son on a journey in the aftermath of a devastating holocaust creating a nuclear winter. The reason for the journey--possible rescue on the southern coast of the United States--is most likely hopeless, and the post-apocalyptic sights and dangers the two encounter on the road south are horrible, but . . .

The Road is lifted by the utterly transformative love this man holds for his child. This bond keeps the two of them alive despite the odds, pushes them to unbelievable limits, provides a moral compass, and creates hope where there should only be despair. The Road is about the transcendent power of love.

Cormac McCarthy's style takes some getting used to, and despite being a fairly literate sort, I really have no idea where he finds all the words he uses, but the story is riveting and timeless.

I am crazy about this book.