Ruth answers “Can this book be read as a stand alone?”

Jennifer Masterson asked this question about Lila:

Can this book be read as a stand alone?

Ruth It's so hard to answer this question, since I read all her other novels several times before this came out! I think you could read it without having r…moreIt's so hard to answer this question, since I read all her other novels several times before this came out! I think you could read it without having read the other two books. It would still be a compelling story if you didn't have two other characters' points of view on the town. Lila is a character with a wonderful voice. You might think that her tendency to refer to Reverend Ames as "the old man" or "the Reverend" is a problem, but in Gilead, Ames refers to her as "your mother" throughout the entire book. I am pretty sure he either never uses her name, or lets it slip only once. I can't imagine that you'd have trouble figuring out who they are to each other, even if you only read one of the three books. (less)

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