The Word On: Marilynne Robinson

"Some bloggers have had mixed feelings about the novel, Home. Robinson's prose is beautifully crafted. There is a depth of thought to this writing which demands a slower pace from the reader. I felt as though she were inviting me to enter a quieter world, with a slower pace of life, and to allow my thoughts to drift unhurriedly through the careful, considered prose."

Sarah Blake (www.panmacmillan.com/picador)

"I just finished savouring Home – wow, what a great book. I had read Gilead, Marilynne's Pulitzer Prize winner... It examined home as a place to return to, home as a place in the heart – really asking the question – what is home and where is it and do we have a home? The rich narrative that Marilynne writes in, how she draws you into the lives of her characters..."

Cornelia Seigneur (www.corneliaseigneur.com)

"Fi Glover, the broadcaster who chaired this year's (Orange Prize) judging panel, admitted the decision had been straightforward and unanimous. Home, Robinson's beautifully crafted exploration of family relationships and redemption, was the easy winner from the six shortlisted books...Glover said she had now read Home three times and it got better, more deep and profound, each time."

George (www.book ninja.com)