The Poet's House

The Poet’s House by Jean Thompson 320 pages

Author Jean Thompson is new to me. I really enjoyed her writing, and in reading about her and this book in various book newsletters and magazines, it sounds as though I am missing something by not reading her work.

While poetry is at the heart of this novel, this book is not about poetry. Art, yes. Poetry. No. There is also a mystery in the story that mostly stays in the background until near the conclusion.

Twenty-one-year-old Carla is a landscape artist. She has no plans; nothing seems to excite her, except hard work. A community college dropout, Carla feels stupid and unteachable. Unfortunately, she is suffering from un-diagnosed form of dyslexia; she doesn’t process the written word as others do. 

Carla likes her job. It makes sense to her. However, she life is drastically changed when she hears one of her clients, Viridian, reading her poetry aloud. She gets it!

Like Viridian’s friends and colleagues, Carla is drawn to the seventy-ish Viridian. She just wants to be around her, and Viridian notices her. For the first time in her life, Carla feels noticed. She begins to find excuses to go to Viridian’s where she meets all kinds of interesting and quirky people.

And if art is the heart of this novel, the mystery of a lost collection of poetry is its pulse. Viridian’s past lover---the great poet, Mathias---supposedly burned his last poetry collection. But no one seems to believe that he would do such a thing. Most people believe that Viridian has hidden it. But no one can claim to have ever seen it or where it could possibly be. And most don’t understand why Viridian doesn’t haul it out and put it on the auction block, since she is struggling financially. And as her physical health declines, what will become of the lost masterpiece?  Only readers of the book will know.

I enjoyed reading “The Poet’s House,” and it receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.