Beneficence
A Novel

"Beneficence" is a novel that begins in the post-World War II era and continues into the '60s. It's about a farm family -- mom, dad, three kids -- in Maine. It comes in three phases. In the beginning, we see a hard-working family with few luxuries but a good life. Then, phase two, a terrible thing h......more

Deep-rooted grief comforted by a place of simple beauty (Maine, 1947 – 1965): How would you define a literary​ masterpiece? Would you think it over-the-top to characterize an author’s first novel as a masterpiece? These questions are asked because Beneficence​ ​moves us with so much pathos and so mu......more

It’s not a word that’s often used, but it’s familiar in its own way. Beneficence. The one word title struck me. It was a book selected by my late wife. I knew nothing about it. I read the book jacket. Tragedy. Guilt and blame. Boundless grief. What in the world did beneficence have to do with this?......more

Wow. Beautiful. Heart-wrenching. Sad. Lovely. The beauty of the human spirit triumphing over unendurable loss. The scenes of farm life in Maine are simply transporting. Two characters make choices that, to me, are unforgivable. But this family endures. Prepare to be moved. Sad. Devastated. Glad. It's a......more

if i could give this book 10 stars i would. it moved me in a way no book in quite some time has. the writing while prose is poetic. i lived with the characters and in the setting for the entire time i was reading it. when i closed the book at dawn this morning, i sat still as a stone for some time,......more