Review of THE CARETAKER by Ron Rash

 3.5 Stars

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.